Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-11-27
Agricultural Colleges.

Massachusetts, an old, populous, wealthy,
enterprising state.
Massachusetts has an agricultural col
lege; not one of your herniaphrodite
affairs of which some complain, part clas-
sic and part devoted TO " sciences underly-
ing agriculture and the mechanic arts,
but separate, genuine, Simon-pure agr-
cultural college, Independent and alone,
and so we can here come at some of the
facts of what it costs to run an agricultur-
nj college. This institution is situated in
Amherst, and receives from the two-thirds
of the United Ststes land grant, which
was allotted rs its share, Il little over
$4,000, to which the state has added, in
1871 Sl4l,575; in 1874 S1S, 900; and $4,000
each in 1876 and 1877, and its income from
its invested fund amounts to l,G0) per
annum. 1t has farm of about four hun
dred acres, valued at $500 and other
real estate amounting in all to 100000,
and stock, tools and produce $4,000. Its
gross income for 1877, exclusive of SOL
900 borrowed money, was about $4,000,
and then, with their five professors, three
assistants and one hundred and eleven
students, they are so poverty-stricken that
"the professor of veterinary science and
practice has been dismissed in consequence
of inadequacy of means to pay his salary.
The fifteenth annual report sets forth the
poverty of this institution in manner most
easily understood, by asking for $4,000 to
pay debts, and $4,000 for the expenses Of
1878. The American CUltiCdtOr speaks of
this interesting document in this wise:
Possessed of u four hundred-acre farm,
surrounded by an atmosphere of art, cul-
ture and science emanating from learned
faculty of professors, lecturers and in
structors, board of seventeen trustees.
and board of overseers composed of the
entire state board of agriculture, the con-
dtion must be indeed favoral lie to az
ricultural progress and development, and
the annual report, as an index and abstract
of the work, would naturally be expected
to afford Il valuable contribution to agri-
cultural literature Let an impartial public
Judge for themselves.
The first three pages Of this remarkable
report are devoted to begging for $4,000
TO pay debts already incurred, and for
$4,000 additional appropriation for 1873;
also II statement that it is not practicable
to economizc in the officers salaries. The
next four pages demonstrate how much
more literally Japan deals with its state
agricultural interests than is the rule in
Massachusetts. This ought to he valuable
fact, since its discovery cost the college
treasury several thousand dollars. OF the
remaining six pages of the presidents re.
port, twenty-four lines are devoted to the
beet.sugar industry, twenty.one lines tc
sorghum culture, small space to routine
and department matters, and the balance
to repeated demands for funds for the
farm, funds for diagrams, modes and
specimens, funds for laboratory and appa,
ratus. funds for 4 new building to accom-
modate various departments, funds for in.
crease of collections and enlargement O!
the library.
1t next pays its respects to the college
farming as follows;
The fact that this farm superintendent is
4 graduate of this college and II bachelor
of science, having been privileged to enjoy
the regular course of four years, in adtli
ton to mplishments previously ac.
CURED, should give him decided advan.
tage over most of the farmers of the state
and undoubtedly makes him the emboli
ment of "the method of agricultural
experiments which are now in operation
ut the college," He also has the advice
cooperation and hearty support of the
learned faculty, and other officials, VIII
draw over Sl6, 900 per annum in salaries
and who should have every interest in The
success of the farming operations at the
college. 1t is evident that the farm super
intendent is fully satisfied with himself as
with pitiable self conceit, he announces
in reference to the farm, that " Prosperity
has accompanied the management another
year" AS illustrating the advantages o
the higher mathematics, when applied t,
farming, the superintendent states: Six
teen acres of corn produced between hct
and three Monsand baskets of cars" Thi.
is a wide variation in quantity even for +
man who hasn't learned to count; but fJl
a bachelor of science, with four years
training in algebra, geometry and trigo
nometry, it cannot be called very close
calculation. Again, an inquiring flrme
might ask whether these were peck bas
kets or bushel measures
This colege-bred superintendent IN,
not vouchsafed to the farming commute,
his methods of corn raising, but only give
aglmpse of his success by stating tha
three hundred bushels of corn were pur
chased for the hogs and horses, also tina
"one field was so muddy at harvest tim,
that it was actually unsafe to 60 upon i
with horse-teams." He does not stat,
what method was employed in harvesting
One hundred bushels of potatoes to tn,
acre he calls very good. There might b,
difference of opinion on this point evel
on ordinary farms. On the turnip cultur,
he is more explicit, having MANFRED tn,
piece with the "odds and ends - Ga valul
bic agricultural hint), but he remarks
The crop suffered from excess of waite
while growing, and we fairly had to wad
while harvesting it," Few men, withou
such training rs the agricultural coleg,
alone affords, could make such u success
of harvesting turnips ut the bottom of
pond. His beet crop suffered from exccs
Of water, but his carrots stopped CROWN:
on account of the dry weather, though
both were cultivated on the same farm
The wheat was good, but the rye crol
light on account of the poor seed 1t i
not much to the credit of bachelor O
science with four years training in botany
chemistry and horticulture, that he wa
cheated in the purchase of seed.
The article closes by the propounding O
a few conundrums which we should thinl
would be interesting to the tax payers q
the old Bay State, and here they are:
Is this report farce, or contribution t.
agricultural science? Is it to continue an
perpetuate such aimless and valueIess ex
penditures that the taxpayers are agair
to be called upon to appropriate $4,000
Is there evidence, in the present manage
ment, of the required capacity for promot
ing agricultural interests through thi
colegep Is 100000 capital sufficient t,
to provide teachers and experiment field
for less than one hundred students? Is i
wise economy to sink any more money il
the furtherance Of system of education
that is entirely inadequate to meet tn
popular want?
In this report we learn that mlitar
drill occupies more than double the hour