The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-08-19
Heads OF Agricultural Colleges.

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Our agricultural colleges. writes a
correspondent of The Rare! -Neao
Yorker, have been making very mod
crate progress during the six to six
teen years since they have been re-
spectiveiy organized. The act of 1872
granting large funl i'll lands 10 the
several States for the equipment OF
these colleges, should Justly mark an
era ill our agricultural progress. Its
purpose was to lay the foundation of
scientific and practical schools OF ag-
riculture and the mechanic arts. The
law Is entitled, 'An act donating pub
lie lands to tie several states and ter
ritories which may provide colleges
for the benefit Of agriculture and me-
cianical arts" The fourth section Of
this act declares that the leading OBJ
ject" of these colleges shall be ''to
teach such branches OF learning as are
related to agriculture and the mechan-
ic arts" 1t is perfectly plain that
the trainers OF the law intended these
as special, and not as general schools.
However much general learning the
presidents OF these colleges possess, it
does not and cannot atoic for II want
of the special know ledgc required for
the management of Institutions de-
voted Ito teaching such branches of
learning NJ are related 10 agriculture
and the lncchl,iic arts" This was 50
obvious at the first glance that 10 one
could come To any other conclusion
unless the wish ''Dccul,ic father 10 the
thought"
Yet all of these institutions were
organized by the appoiiitilant ofpres-
idents i'll total tlisre.slrd OF the spirit
and letter of the inW-ov placing Il
purely literary lnIu, having lio know
ledge of, and generally not even any
taste for, rural pursuits, ut the head To
direct the teaching OF scientific and
practical agriculture ami the mechanic
arts. The result has been That the
great mass OF students, n,ne out OF
ten, have pursued precisely the same
studicS-aIlu no Otner-:lS they would
ut any literary school before the or
ganization of these cole ycs. This Ia
ito is too small for the Michigan and
Massachusetts, colleges; but large
enough to meet the facts OF all tie
rest.
II may not bc amiss here to show
how widely they have dcviated from
the intention OF the trainers OF the law,
by quoting paragraph from the
speech OF senator Mvrrili, the author
OF the bill, IN advocating It's passage
lie certainly ought To know what WAS
intended by the law which he intro
duccu. Answering the OBJECT ton that
they would compete with the colleges
now eXlStlug, he says: Oar present
literary colleges need have no more
jealousy OF aSrlcu tural colleges than
IL porcelain manufacturer would OF
an Iron foundry IHcy move in sepa-
rate sphere, without competition. =
1ile farmer and mechanic require
separate schools ami appropriate lit
ertture, quite IT'S nlucn ats any OF tile
so-cullcu professions. We need care
Tui, exact ami systematic reg yistrauIon
OF experiments. We need 10 test the
natural capaDliity OF The soils, and the
power OF different terIiiiZc.s; the EEL
ativc value of different grasses Tor
flesh, fat, and lniik-givIng purposes !;
the comparative value OF gram, roots,
hay, peas, carrots. potatoes, or lurnips
Ill pOuiI,tS OF Deel, porn, OF mutton !;
plowing as well as urdinagc; breeds
OF animals; rcnei lies lor Juc potato
disease, ana IOr all the tribes OF i'll
sects destructive TO crops
W nat counIen,suco doc, this give to
a general education IN these colleges :?
He says: "Ihe larnicr and luech;lnic
require special schools and approprl-
ate literature" but the presiuelts OF
those colleges, utterly disrcgar,iin9
the law, turn them INTO ordinary lit
crary colleges, i'll winch nlnc- tentils
OF the students are educated without
any reference to agriculture, anu have
no intention OF pursuing 1t. And the
..spccial schools spoken OF by Senator
Morril were intcntiei to be rs special
in relation to agriculture AMI the me-
cnanic arts lis the. " est Point acauc-
my to military science,