Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-05-04
Board of Agriculture

Board of Agriculture.
Our esteemed friend, q. f. Jameson, is
evidently In n " state of mind" concerning
the pr sent board. which he has recently
indicated in a column article in the Yer.
mont Turner. He opens by quoting a
paragraph in c. w It's communication
from Randolph. which, speaking of the
papers read there, says: 1T is claimed
that those who spoke there gave better
instruction than the members of the board
of agriculture"
Mr.. Jameson-Without doubt this is
true. Where community has been accus-
toned to the discussions of farmers
club it furnishes an audience of such intel
ligence to the board that all errors are
quicRly detected and the clumsy handling
of any subject shows how far developed
the speakers mind is on Turning topics.
II n speaker is acceptable at Randolph,
Brandon and Westminster, where clubs
have been organized ST. long. then they
will he accepted in all parts of the state.
He thinks it necessary "to use greater
care in appointing board of agriculture"
and saws it will not do to "send men
about with second or third-class ideas of
practice and '.boh tailed science as DR..
IIoSkins calls it, for theory. The farmers
feel thtt that thev have been defrauded
and are not getting the worth of their
money!
Having pretty fully settled the status of
the present board, he goes on to complete
the work bv indicating who would be
proner and satisfactory men to put on. lie
wonld he glad if for secretary, chemist
and member Of the board we could have
Prof Peter Collier, and speaks most high
ly Of his work.
Well Prof Collier is in a high and
responsible government postion-chemist
to the agricultural dcpartmpnt-and is it
quite probable that he would resign that
place FOR the very uncertain one Of secre.
tarv Of the Vermont board of agriculture
at two dollars per day of actual serviceP
The next name presented is that Of our
esteemed contemporary, DR.. Hoskins,
whom he classes as high authority.
especially on fruit growing; q reliable
teacher whose practice carries out every
theory.
Next comes Mr.. Fringle of Charlotte
"who is claSsed among the hest botani9ts
in America"
Yes, but Mr. Prinrle has an appoint
mcnt from the old md rich Harvard college
to 90 to New Mexico. etc. on botanical
exploring cxncdition; and if we remember
rightly he declined once since his former
membership place on the board. Is it
probable Mr.. Prngle would serve nowp
Mr.. Douglas is also named as one than
whom emo one created greatcr EN- husiam
for agricultural knowledge or left better
ground that he sought political CAPITAL by
his service. know him well and believe
this nm unjust accusation
He also mentions Col. Mead and DR.
Cutting, hut the others, Mr. Pringle ex.
ccp'od stand as members of the same
boprl which had Mr.. Jtmeson as a mem.
Der. Wv is not Mr.. Jamoson's name
mcntionc1p Wonld not he take n place on
such horr1?? To he snre he is free To
say that I have never asked place on the
board since nv four years of service
expired, hut would he not accept if it
were nrGed upon him? He has served ON
the board and been dropned but that is mo
reason he should decline. rs he himself
remarks: 1T is no disgrace to he set
aside from the board work, as attachments
and ability do not count. Some of the
hest men in the nation have been on the
board, as shown by Collier, Pringle and
Hoskins yet they are set aside"
With such a bolrd as that which had
Bro. jameson as member, for examnle,
it would seem that people might distruet
their own fitness for such station, but
such ia MT the case, Ctwithstanding
INV ilSl wv Httilti III lHt IIl'IIl
bers of the board, have heard that more
than one hundred men applied to Gov.
Proctor in 1878 for place on the board >"
And it seems from Bro. Jameson's es.
innate thHt attachments and ability do not
count. and his hopes for the future are by
no means bright, for he thinks it " reason.
able 10 judge by past practice that the
present board will be dismissed after
short service and new men appointed, and
Clubs and societies will continue to think
they do not get their moneys worth of
instruction"
We don't know as it can be helped, ms
Of those whom we have named, it is toll
erably certain that Collier, Pringle and
Mead would not serve, and uncertain
whether DIR. Cutting or Dr. Hoskins would.
and that would leave only Mr.. Douglas
and infercnIially Mr. jameson, and where
are the restP We don't see the other
names.