Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-02-15
AGRICULTURAL.

| THE uNINERNlTf AND AGRICULTURAL tol'IE"E
COURSE OF VETERINARY LECTURES ADDRESS
BY DR.. IL. d. HoLToN, OF BRArTLEBoRo.
The University of Vermont and State Ag-
ricultural College has engaged Prof n.
Grassy. the distinguished Veterinary sur
geon, for another series of lectures on Neter
mary science, similar to those of last year,
to be delivered at farmers meetings in every
county in the State. One of the first of
the present series was delivered at Fay
etteville Windham county. on the 18th inst.
it was preceded by al interesting address by
DR.. II. D. IIoltOn, OF Brattleboro, in which
lie set forth in n clear and succinct manner,
some of the ways in which the University
and State Agricultural College is trying TO
benefit the farming interest of our State.
DIR. HoLToS's ADDRESS.
We give below the main portion of DIR.
Holton's address
Born the son of a farmer, Injured to all the
services incident to the farm life of youth.
fully approaching the high position the farm
| err sustsins to the commonwealth, in fact, be-
leving that the material prosperity of farmers
| is the prosperity OF the nation, my sympathies
| Lave gone out toward the tillers OF the soil.
and have long cherished the hope that
| might live to see the farmers of this State
body of educated and scientific men. When,
therefore, several years since, was, without
| NV knowledge elected as one of the trustees
of the Agricultural College, | entered upon
| tue duties of the position with desire anda
| determination that much should be accom-
| plished for the advancement Of the farming
interests of our State. This, then, Is my ex-
cuse for presuming to speak to you this after
noon.
| Let us consider what advantages, If any,
would accrue to the farmer If he had 4 thor
ough scientific education. What is true in
other pursuits of life is also true in this, viz,
that competition is so great that only he who
knows how to produce the most with the least
| expenditure of means is likely to succeed
| Only the artisan who most thoroughly under
| stands his particular trade commands the
highest wages only the professional man
who has the most thorough knowledge OF all
that pertains to his profession will ultimately
| attain not only the confidence OF the COM
munity but that eminence IN his profession
| which will make him one of its ornaments.
This is particularly true of the New England
farmer, since the fertile prairies of the West
have been brought under cultivation, produc-
ing SO bounteously with the expenditure OF
comparatively little labor and an entire alb
| seuce of fertilizers. 1t becomes evident, then,
that if nny one in Vermont would arrive at
anything more than simply earning iiveli-
| hood-in fact, if he would become a success
fll farmer in the same sense that the mechan-
lie or the professional man is success-he
must have some knowledge of the growth OF
his crops, of their adaptability to different
soils, etc of the principles which govern
the successful breeding and rearing OF stock
of the diseases, and their cure, OF the animals
OF which his stock may consist, as well as
clear ideas on the silver question or proper
estimate of the advantages to accrue from the
building in his section of railroad OF any
particular gauge. Where can this knowledge
be best obtained by the young man who de-
sires it answer at the Agricultural College
of Vermont. From one or two articles which
have recently appeared in one of our county
papers, | suspect that the origin and purposes
of the State Agricultural College are not well
understood.
When the act of Congress endowing the
Agricultural or Industrial College went into
effect, the legislature of this State incorpora-
ted the Vermont Agricultural College as sep
argte and independent institution. The con-
gressional fund being wholly Inadequate to
the endowment OF such an institution, and
not dollar of it being available for buildings,
the legislature conditioned the appropriation
of a fund to provide buildings and Increase
the endowment of the college upon the rais
ing by subscription of 100000. The trus-
tees of the Agricultural College. appointed by
the legislature, addressed themselves to the
task of raising this money. They organized
"A canvass of the State by counties tor sub
scriptions. They made prolonged and earnest
efforts to raise the sum required, but without
success. 4 few scattered subscriptions, each
conditioned on the location ofthe new college
in the subscribers own town OF vicinity, and
all amounting to less than $50, 900, were OBJ
tanned Nearly four of the five years within
which, under the terms of the act of Con-
gress, the college must be put in operation
passed in this effort. resulting in securing only
so msagre sum. The legislature of 1860
met and the trustees of the Agricultural Col
lcge reported the failure of their efforts 1t
thus became apparent that the money Tor the
establishment OF separate college could not
be procured, and they then applied to the ex
listing colleges to see if. through them, the
| congressional fund could be made available.
They found that Norwich College was too
feeble to encourage such n hope that Mid
dlebury College was disinclined to enter into
any such arrangement ; but that the State
University at Burlington had been willing to
consider the subject, and that by its aid the
Agricultural fund might perhaps yet be saved
to the State Their report further shows that
the oveItures for the union of the University
and Agricultural College came from the trus-
tees of the Agricultural College and not from
the University, and wsre accepted by the
University in order to save the fund to the
State The bill which was reported and rec
commended by the trustees of the Agricul-
tural College was passed by the legislature
without any division important enough 10 be
recorded in the journals either Of the House
or Senate. In so doing new institution was
| Il. of he nj N
Vermont and State Agricultural College. TO
be founded by the union of the Agricultural
College, the University, Middlebury and Nor
wich Colleges. if they chose to unite there
with. That it did not become union of all
the colleges in the State was because the last
two did not choose to unite with It, Thus 1t
WAS that the University and Agricultural
College became united in one institution,
under one board Of trustees and under
charter which prescribed the character and
purposes of the institution
That the trustees have faithfully complied
with all the requirements of the charter, both
in letter and spirit, | need not assert when 1t
is borne in mind that our distinguished Sen
ator, Hon. Justin S Morrill, the father of the
congressional act creating the Agricultural
fund, has been from the first one OF the most
active, influential and faithful members OF
the board of trustees as well US member OF
|
lied an industrial and scientific department
and added to the former board of instruction
in the University competent professors IN
chemistry, mining and metallurgy, civil en-
gineering, botany, zoology, modern languages,
and professorship of military tactics, in-
struction in which is required by the charter.
They have added laboratory. not eHcelled
by that of the Sheffield School at New Haven,
and have equipped the department of civil
| 4 Lat,N t,,1x
provided for by subscription OF $4,000
raised bv the friends of the University to en-
able IT to enlarge its scope and meet the de-
mands of the new order of things. They
next organized special courses of lee
lures on agricultural chemistry, stock
breeding, dairying. fruit culture, ento-
molocy, farm accounts, etc, for which they
engaged able lecturers. These lectures were
widely advertised but they failed to draw
the class for whose benefit they were espe
cially intended Therefore. last year another
enterprise was designed, and Il lecturer was
sent into each county, thus trying to meet
YOU at your own doors as you declined to
knock at the doors of the college. course
OF lectures on Veterinary Science was deter
mined upon. Some one was sought who was
thoroughly conyersant with the diseases OF
animals and whose knowledge was based upon
thorough scientific study of them one
who by such scientific knowledge had gam
ed the success which We have spoken OF as
only obtained by such careful study. 1t did
not take long TO determine that the man who
stood in the front rank of Veterinary Sur
geons WAS Prof. Cressy Hence the course OF
lectures which he gave throughout the State
last winter, and which were deseryedly pop
uar. The trustees, feeling that their efforts
in this direction had been SO acceptable, de-
tormined to send him forth again this winter.
Hence the lectures of this day. Steps have
already been taken to establish experimental
stations ON private farms in different parts of
the State MIR. Richards Bradley, of Brattle-
boro, has kindly placed ut the disposal OF
the trustees such portion of his different
farms as they may require for their eIperi,