Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-08


the audience Owing to this unexpected fea-
ture of the evening meeting Prof. Cressys
lecture was necessarily cut short, much to the
regret of many who hoped to avail themselves
of the benefits of its practical features. About
half an hour was occupied by the professor
in describing the symptoms and proper treat
ment of milk fever in the COW.
DR. HoLroN's ADDRESS.
We give below the main portion of DR..
Holton's afternoon address;
Ld,lies and Gentimel.:-
Born the son of farmer, Injured TO all the
services incident to the farm life of youth,
fully approaching the high position the farm
er sustains TO the commonwealth in fact, be-
lieving that the material prosperity of farmers
is the prosperity of the nation. my sympathios
have gone out toward the tilers of the soil,
and l have long cherished the hope that |
might live to see the farmers of this State a
body of educated scientific men. When,
therefore, several years since, | was without
my knowledge, elected as one of the trustees
of the Agricultural College, l entered upon
the duties of the position with a desire and a
determination that much should be accom-
plished for the advancement of the farming
interests of cur State. This. then, is my eX-
cuse for presenting to speak to you this after
noon.
Let us consider what advantages if any,
would accrue to the farmer if he had a 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 emnence 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
sence of fertilizers. 1t becomes evident, then,
that if any one in Vermont would arrive at
any thing more than simply earning a liyeli-
hood-in fact, if he would become u success
full farmer i'll the same sense that the mechan-
ic or the professional man is Il 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 ulSehStS, una lltlT cure. ol Nt tulllluln
of which his stock may consist as well rs
clear ideas on the silver question or proper
estimate of the advantages to accrue from the
building in his section of a 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, l suspect that the origin and purposes
of the State Agricultural Collegs are not well
understood.
When the act Of Congress endowing the
Agricultural or Industrial College went into
effect the legislature of this State incorporated
the Vermont Agricultural College rs separ-
ate and independent institution. The con-
gressional fund being wholly inadequate to
the endowment of such an institution, and
not Il dollar of ii being available for buildings,
the legislature conditioned the appropriation
of n fund to provide buildings and increase
the endowment of the college upon the rails
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 for sub
scriptons. They made prolonged and earnest
| efforts to raise the sum required, but without
| success. few scattered subscriptions, each
| conditioned ON the location of the new college
| in the subscribers own town or 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 Congress,
| the college must be put in operation, passed
| in this effort, resulting in securing only SO
meagre n sum. The legislature of 1865 met
| and the trustees of the Agricultural College
reported the failure of their efforts 1t thus
became apparent that the money for the es.
tablishment of a separate college could not be
procured, and they then applied to the exist
| ing colleges to see if through them, the CON
| gressiOnal fund could be made available They
fonnd that Norwich College was too feeble to
| encourage such hope that Mddlebury
College was disinclned 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 Agriculture
| fund might perhaps yet be saved to the State
Their report further shows that the overture
for the union of the University and Agricul
tural College came from the trustees of the
Agricultural College and not from the Uni
versity, and Were accepted by the Universit,
in order TO save the fund to the State. Tn,
bill which was reported aud recommended b,
the trustees of the Agricultural College wa
passed by the legislature without any division
important enough to be recorded in tn
Journals either of the House or Senate II
| u
der the title of the University of Vermont an,
State Agricultural College, to be founded b,
the union of the Agricultural College, tn
University, Middlebury and Norwich Colleges
if they chose to unite Herewith That it di
not become a union of all the colleges in tn
State was because the last two did not choos
to unite with it. Thus it was that the Uni
versity and Agricultural College became unite
in one institution, under one board of trus
tees and under charter which prescribed tn
character and purposes of the institution.
That the trustees have faithfully compile
with all requirements of the charter, both i
letter and spirit, / need not assert when it
borne in mind that our distinguished Sent
tor, Hon. Justin S. Morrill, the father of tn
congressional act creating the Agriculture
fund has been from the first, one of the mos
active, influential, and faithful members {
the board of trustees as well as a member {
the financial committee. They have organ
lied an industrial and scientific departmer
and added to the former board of instructio
in the University competent professors
chemistry, mining and metallurgy, civil ei
cheering botany, zoology, modern language
and professorship of military tactics, instru
ton in which is required by the charte
They have added a laboratory, not eXcelle
by that of the Sheffield School at New Hayei
and have equipped the department of civ
engineering; these additions being mainl
provided for by q subscription of $500
raised by the friends of the University to e.
able it to enlarge its scope and meet the d
mands of the new order Of things. They O