Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-04-23
Shall the Agricultural College BE Sus.
tanned.

Shall the Agricultural College BE Sus.
tanned!
The Massachusetts, Pouglmqn prints
the following extract from Il letter by All
Illinois farmer to one of the trustees of
the Massachusetts agricultural collegr:
1t seems to me unreasonable TO expect
either the farm or the college to pay tx
prn>cs. The higher schools Of a country,
in order 10 be available to competent stu
dents Of all degrees of we 18th. must either
be run ut Il loss, or else be of like value as
Instruments of education. The farm, |
take it, should he considered as Il sort OF
laboratory for the students as well us It
model for their study, and IN some deer, e
an experimental station. To successfully
combine these three offices, is an under
taking of eminent difficulty and involve,
other elements of equal or greater impor-
lance than the successful running of "A
farm" | notice that here, ALSO is heard
the cry that seems to be getting us pop.
ular,h that the course of study includes too
many or too much of useless studies
and is not sufficiently practca.' Per-
NIT me to say n few words to you, rs an
officer of the college. on this point. II
the one and most important object Of tt,
college were to teach young men to work
on farm intelligently, why would not
that object be gained is well and at far
less expense on some well conducted pri-
vate farm after II common school rduca,
ton, with the aid Of occasional lectures.
and the agricultural press? 1t is because
there are other important clements in ed
ucaion or school training thlt the higher
schools are established and supported.
The most essential elements in school
education are the cultivation of the power
OF attention, the sharpening of the percep
tions, the furnishing of the tools $50 to
sprak) with which the mind is to work.
the becoming acquainted with what has
already been done, and the guidance into
the proper channels Of investigation for
further knowledge and discovery. That
education is anything more than begun,
especially in schools OF the grade of the
agricultural college, is policy that should
be Struggled against by all who seek the
highest good of the people. The course
there should be SO arranged us to intro
duce the students to the sciences that have
bearing on agriculture (agricuture itsell
is not science. and from the very nature
of the case never can be), to excite theil
interest and cultivate the power of observ
alton, to point out the lines Of uSefu, an,
incompleted investigation, to train The
mind so that it will have power to work
and 10 discriminate between that knowl
edge which is false and unreliable ant
that which is permanent. and reliable il
its character. And finally, it should tent
TO m Ike them, the students, in the hghes
sense men and CITIZENS. 1t is ARGUED
that the sons of poor farmers can, atlor,
to spend time and money for all this-thcr
say they had better stay ut home or O,
on Il farm; the state cannot afford IL
spend its money and deprive Others of ;
good elementary educate. .ol Tie sake o
giving these an education which is a tlelu
sion and II snare. y man Who has ;
sound fundamental training will no; BIZ
long in finding out the details of any
business that ne may under take. But The
man who has not had that sound lrainint
in his youth will he very I'm likely to ac
quire the elements of true learning il
AFTER life, or will DO it under the create,
d advantages.
If it be further argued that this sort O
education sends the graduates of the col
lrge "otf The farm Then say 50 mucl
the better for them and for the state.
farming doesn't offer sufficient induce
mrnts TO attract educated men, then II l.
for the advantage OF every person to b,
enabled to get off of it. and it is better fol
the state that its ubest men should be sen
inc the fields in which they can do tn,
best and most work. When the tim,
comes in which agriculture Gf that time j.
not already presently can offer suflicien
inducements TO attract educated men, ther
they will 20 to it, it is useless to fore,
them. And to deprive men of education
in order that they may not rise from tho
farm, would be not only tyranncal ant
cruel to them but suicidal to the state
Finally let me suggest hat those men wht
are familiar with any given branch o
learning are more competent to decide Il!
to its value in Il given case, than thos,
who are ignorant Of it. The "practca
farmer" isn't always the best person Il
lay out course of study for an agricul
tural college.
Erie, March 80, 1879.
NOW we 90 not suppose the said llIlnoi
farmer will ever see this article, and 81
reply to our queries, but we did wonder
why ii is unreasonable to expect college
farm 10 pay. And if it is not the one ant
important object of an agricultural college
to teach young men to work intelligently
on farm, we would really like to know
what the one important object of such a
college is or should he. To be sure there
are other and important elements in edu.
cation. and these were already pretty well
provided for in the numerous high schools,