The daily gazette., 1879-06-07
prsssrLvAs1A's Exrrn1rxcr IN


PENNsYLvANIA's EXPERIENCE IN
AGRICULTURAL CoLLEeEs.-Ths Phil
adelphia Press doss not seem very NV
orably impressed with its State's expert
ence in Agricultural farming. We find
in an editorial in that paper Of the oh
instant, that the State has an 'Agricul-
tural College and two experimental
FARMS" Theexporiment, however, does
not seem to pay and the Press proposes
that the students, as . matter Of econo-
my, be brought to Philadelphia, boarded
q. the Continental and their tuition paid
for at the University. That paper says: !:
The endowment Of this college would
have been considered muni6cent by any
literary institution In Middle or West
ern Pennsylvania. The sum Of $780,
600 was derived from the salo Of public
lands, granted by Congress, for the pur-
pCse of promoting scientific agriculture
and encouraging the industrial arts In
the several States In addition to this,
the State gave $4OO 900, and the trustees
hold State bond for $500, 900, ON which
they draw $50, 1000 annually. Surely If
nothing has been accomplished 1t has
not been for want Of sufficient means.
We do not know what part Of the $780,
600 granted by the State was invested iD
lands and buildings, but even II the
whole appropriation went Into perma-
nent Improvements, there would still be
left an endowment fund OF something
like . million Of dollars, yielding $60,-
600 annually.
For twenty years Immediately prsce-
ding the war the average number Of stu
dents at Jefferson College, Cannonsburg
Washington county, including the pupiis
in the preparatory depal tment, must have
exceeded 300. We doubt II the reveue
for any one year ever reached $4,000.
When, by the sale OF scholarships, an
endowment fund Of $100, 900 was raised
in 1852, the trustees congratulated the
friends of the institution on the fact that
| it has been placed on . firm financial
basis. The learned and pious pIotes-
| sors, whose devoted labOrs are remem-
bered by thousands who sat under their
instructions, were quite content TO divide
among themselves the annual Interest on
the endowment fund GO, ,000), and the
fees received from the few students who
had not been provided with scholarships
No one of the six professors had an in-
come exceeding 81, 200 year.
1t cannot be expected that . college
professor should live upon $1,000 . yea
in these days, or that the old modes O
economy should be piactised, unde
which $10,O year vas sufficient :.
provide instruction in the classics, ,mathe
matics, belles-lettres, natural sciences
and all the other studies Of . colleg,
course, f 800 studt n o; but 1t doe; - u
that $40, 900 per anhuin for the tuitiO
Of forty-six boys 10 rather steep. Thi
leaves out of account the interest on tn
permanent investment. The State eoui
soee money bQ bringing al these youn
mon to Philadelphia, boarding them q
IKE Continental Hotel, and paying thei
tuition at the University. The repoI
, of the House committee informs us tina
eleven professors are employed in il
structing these forty-six students.
AS for the experimental farms," th
committee say "they have utterly faile
5 to accomplish the object intended" W
are not surprised a. this. Scientific agr
e culturists aie not likely to be successil
: practical farmers If the eleven learne
professors connected with the state Co
lege were Obliged to make living off Il
land upon which they test their theori
of fertilization and cultivation tn
n would literally st tlrve. The commit
reports that the lndiana-county farm dc
ID not even reach the grade of"a third-cl,
a farm" and that it has actually deteriol
70 ted under scientific culture. There us
is to be highly humorous poem in I
4 school readers, entitled ''The Chemis
" Cat" which, probably, illustrates
IN condition of these State farms. The
lie was reduced to q skeleton by being CO
or PEELED to swallow an experimental d.
IL of the various medicines compound
H. by her owner.
pe But here there we're eleven profess
Il engaged in testing the qualities Of
soil. The result, as ascertained and
ported by the committee, Is not satisf
tory.