Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-17
For the Free Press and Times.

he sunset Cloud.
ny PAUL PAsTSoE.
A ship % swan down floats across the west.
And dropsa single snowy anchor where
The yearnlns tceau minsles with the air,
And lays throbbng heart upon its breast.
What bird OF paradise with shattered wing
Struggles to mount against the tide Of space.
Ana, looking downward, sees the peaceful grac
Or its own shadow, still and slumberingi
All Could grid me with yOn lost delight,
How swiftly to the skies I'D soar away,
Nor linser on the golden marge OF day.
Nor beat against the billows OF the night!
I'D mount above this du skiing land Of lie
Into the rose leaves Of some sunset heaven,
Where nesting clouds. to crystal harbors driven
Anchor, beyond the billows and the STRIFE
From the Brattleboro Record, April %, Is7s.
Agricultural Education.
1t is one of the most difficult problems oi
the age TO determine the best method of af-
fOrling to farmers the education which the y
need The act of Congress establishing an
agricultural college fund for each of the
States, movement which the Hon. Justin
$ Morrill, had the honor of originating was
welcomed by the friends of agriculture as an
important step in advance, and they have
been looking with eager interest for valuable
results from the practical operation of the
law Agricultural colleges have been estab-
lshed in many of the States, IN some in
stances as separate institutions, in others,
connected with colleges already IN existence
But the results SO lar have not been altogeth-
er satisfactory. The State of Massachusetts,,
for example. is conspicuous for having made
generous appropriations in addition to gov
eminent fund, and for the efforts that have
been made TO carry out the designs of those
who were instrumental in securing this fund.
In 1871 the State made an appropriation of
1 fla.as a..ts
of land and money to the college aggregate
$500 900. Yet the college calls for more
money to pay off debt OF $50, 900 and meet
the deficiency anticipated for the coming
year The report of the finance committee
of the Legislature, recently published, con-
tains the following statement
The college runs behind 5000 yearly,
although in receipt of sol. 900 annually. 1t
is apparent that the sanguine expectations
TO the future of the college have failed of
realization, in financial matters. How has it
been as an educator in agriculture tested by
its list OF graduates BY the annual report,
it appears that in eleven years OF its exist
ence, from 1861 to 1873, but 100 have gradu-
ated, and of this number but 81 are classified
as farmers, and from 1871 to 1873 it averages
less than persons yearly. following farming
as a vocation. so that from an agricultural
standpoint it would seem that the college
was not a success, as it fails to awaken inter
est among the farmers of the State after this
lapse of time. As financial matter. accord
ing to the Trustees statement, 1t has cost
-, 200 each 10 educate those few farmers. 1t
is evident that as a practical institution on
these points IL has not been a success.
The Ner Eag'md Fdrmer. commenting up
on the above statement, says
This Is an Indictment of the college, or
of its management, based upon its own Off
cial report. which calls Tor refutation. II it
be Improbable. either in its failure to reach
the class for which it was specially designed,
or in bringing ont practical results which
shall benefit the agricultural community, the
sooner such failure is made manifest and the
State treasury closed against its further
maintenance, the better for the taxpayers of
the State, and the lighter the disappoint-
ment Of those who looked to it as an aid and
guide in agricultural development
In Vermont, where there has been no State
appropriation, and the annual interest of the
government fund amounts to only about
IS. 600 there has been a great deal of COM
plaint on the ground that this fund is alb
sorbed by the Vermont University at Burling-
ton, with the added name of the State Agrl-
cultural College, while the farmers receive
very little benefit. Without entering upon o
discussion of the justice of these complaints
to few facts. The Vermont University,
until last year, had the services of one of the
ablest chemists in the country, Prof Collier,
now OF Washington, ID. C., who not only gave
such instructions in the scientific and agri-
cultural departments of the college as farm
ers sons need, but he was connected.with the
State Board of Agriculture, and, coming in
contact with the farmers in various parts of
the State afforded them great amount of
useful information His place is now taken
in the college 10y younger man, an able and
accomplished scholar who will. without
doubt, carry on well the work well begun
by his predecessor.
Another fact OF still more practical inter
est to the farmers is the employment, by the
College. Of Prof. Cressy to lecture on yeteri-
nary science IN every county III the State,
taking up subjects but little understood. yet
relating to matters in which knowledge is
often of great value. This course of lectures
last year was entirely successful. DIR. Cres-
sy's thorough acquaintance with the subjects
he treats, aud the enthusiastic interest which
he manifests IN acquiring and diiiusing in
formation on veterinary science, render him
popular az a lecturer to farmers, and cause
them to feel that something is being done
directly for their benefit The desire is ex-
pressed that Prof. Cressy should be connect
ed permanently with the agricultural college.
Should this be done, a part of each year
could be spent IN ItInerant lccturing, ming
ling freely with the farmers so lar as possible
IN every town to treat cases of cattle disease,
and collect facts for the benefit ofthe public
At Burlington, besides lecturing TO the stu
dents, Prof. Cressy could superintenda sta
ton for experimental pathology, where the
nature, causes, and cure of all forms of cat
tie disease could be investigated, and the
-
the newspaI ers. Suoh station would be of
great value TO the State especially in case of
a prevailing disease, like the epiLootic among
horses a few years since. Attention To all
these branches Of the work might be too
much for one man, but Prof. Cressy is one
of the active kind and would doubtless be
able 10 carry out successfully the programme
we have laid ont for him
Vermont may not have done as much as
some other States for the diffusion of agri-
cultural information neither has she wasted
as much money AS some other States IN un-
successful enterprises. The Board Of Agfi-
culture is doing noble work, the expense of
which is very small. The farmers of Yer
mont are coming to feel the need of cduca-
tion in the science OF agriculture as never be-
fore. by advancing one step at time We
may hope to continue, as in the past, to stand
in the front rank among the agricultural
States Of the Union.
The Worcester >py thus refers to the
fifteenth annual report of the Massachusetts
Agricultural college: According to this re-
port. the college has real estate valued at
500, 900 live stock, farm implements, etc.
$4,000 invested funds S250uOO. Here are
means very favorable to good results But,
what are We told in the report? The first
three pages are devoted to pleas for more
money. The next four are given to n demon
stration of the fact that Japan is a great deal
more liberal TO its agricultural interests than
Massachusetts. OF the remaining six pages
of the presidents report, twenty-four lines
are devoted to the boet-sugar industry, twen-
ty-one lines to sorghum culture, small
space to routine and department matters,
and the balance TO repeated demands for
funds. In this report, little or nothing il
said of the methods used in working the
farm, but we are told that 300 bushels of
corn were purchased for the hogs and
horses The superintendent mentions that
the crop suffered from excess of water
while growing, and We fairly had to wade
while harN esting > but not word is said of
drainage We fear that the Cut,dt0rs un-
favorable estimate of the manageme ent is not
without reason. Perhaps investigation would
be useful. Over SlG,O0O year for salaries.
ought to produce satisfactory results. and
furnish material for useful reports.
A well-to-do farmer in Ulster county, N. Y,
who had heard good reports of widow in
Kingston, harnessed up span of horses and
drove to her house one day last week. There
he introduced himself. and she. having also
heard good reports Of him, welcomed him.
They went out for drive, returned to din
ner. went out for another drive, and returned
to supper man and wife. They had never
seen or communicated with each other before