Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-28
FARasns AND rARnEns COLLEGES.

Prof. Il. w. Hilgard, of the University Of
California, has published a pamphlet on
Progress in Agriculture By Education and Gsv-
ernmezst aid, which deserves the attention of
our farming population. The author shows
what immense loss the country endures from
allowing farms to become "wornout" or
gullicd-by the rains. Such results are the
consequence of bad methods, the effect of
Ignorance OF the principles underlying all
agriculture. Even the splendid inventions
OF American skill has brought into use i'm
plemerls which. in ignorant hands, increase
the evil, and the devastation of the soil be-
comes more rapid. To meet the case Con-
gress created an agricultural department and
granted land Tor the endowment of colleg s
mainly to teach III matters connected with
agriculture and the mechanic arts. In estab-
fishing the colleges various systems of pro-
cedure were tried, some limiting instruction
mainly TO agriculture, others introducing
the system of manual labor, others a wider
sphere of varied study. 1t was found that
the colleges were not doing well that devoted
a large portion of the time to teaching the
mere use Of the pillow and the hoe, what was
required to know was why the pillow and hoe
should be used at all, and when and how to
the best advantage. The more so as the
young found little at home or in society to
lead them to reflect on the reasons for the
various operations, or the principles on
which they should be conducted, little to
enoble the farmers pursuit by the use OF
knowledge and guidance from trained intel
lects, so as to remove the reproach of drudg-
cry by directing toll with Intelligence. What
was required was that students should en-
gage in manual labor at the colleges only so
far as to illustrate the principles studied,
and to impress them on the mind, as labora-
tory work does in chemistry. Expert
ence brought additions to the quality
of the instruction given in the colleges, and
their improvement was not confined to the
sons but affected the fathers at their fairs,
institutes, conventions and society meetings.
The model college farm was utilized for ex-
periments to determine practical questions
of agriculture in the various States, such as
farmers had striven after in vain. The col
leges thus became experiment stations in
vestigating questions of local as well as
general interest, and problems mooted in the
farmers meetings and discussions were elu-
cidated. 1t is in this way, approaching the
scientific side of agriculture, that the col
leges are proving most successful. On the
whole, however, the people are not satisfied
with what agricultural education has offered
them SO far, and are slow TO avail themselves
OF the benefits offered by the act of Congress,
but, as in the older States, the soil deterior-
ates the farmer looks more and more 10
science to help him, and in such cases the
agricultural colleges are now esteemed,
especially since they undertook the task of
agricultural Investigations In Europe
such establishments have proved OF high
value and their importance is recog-
nized. With ourselves they will be
esteemed in proportion as they prove the
value of the knowledge they communicate
by taking up and determining unsolved
questions that the farmers of the States are
interested in. In so doing they are educating
the fathers and in that way convincing them
oil the desirableness of education for their
sons. So educated the young become inter
ested In their pursuit; they learn to farm so