Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-09
J. W. Sanborn, Esq,

lIo FeaueTS OF tue FREEMAN nave seen
frequent and favorable mention of this
gentleman in its columns. lie has for
several years been the manager of the
college farm at Hanover, N. H.. and has
lately accepted the position of professor o (
agriculture in the Missouri state universe
ty. Mr.. Sanborn's change will be as
much a loss to New England agriculture
as it will 'be a G ain to Missouri. But news.
papers make all the states near neighbors,
and Mr.. Sanborn's future work will not
he done in secret. and New England
readers will still be made familiar with
his Investigations. Below is what the
agricultural editor of the Watchman has
TO say on this and some other subjects.
His praise of Mr.. Sanborn we cordially
endorse, and on the subject of a professor
for the Vermont agricultural college we
would resp ectfully refer its trustees to the
editor for the information they were asking
in their circular. i. g., a proper person for
such professor. They will please note
the editors remark that he personally
knows dozen in Vermont who would fill
the bill.
A Loss TO NEW ENGLAND AGRICULTURE.
1t is with deep regret that we inform
our readers that j. W. Sanborn, ESQ,
farm manager of the New Hampshire
agricultural college, has accepted the
position of professor of agriculture in the
Missouri state university. We regret it,
in spite of the pleasure we find in knowing
Mr.. Sanborn's talents, energy and good
service to the cause of agricultural science
thus, and so early, meets with acknowl-
edgement from leading institution of one
of the great states of the union. The Yves,
has right to pick up our best men in
New England rs they are developed It's
penetration and liberalty in doing so i,
what makes the west great. But in this
case it has coveted and taken one of the
few mon amongst us who has proved his
fitness for work the need Of which is
very great. Our agricultural colleges
languish for want of capable teachers far
more than for lack of scholars. Most of
the professors of our agricultural col.
leges, are collegians of the old school.
whose only possible model is the literary
college, and whose sole ambition il seems
to be to wrest the institutions from whose
funds they are paid as much as possible
away from thu de ign of their establish
ment as colleges of the industrial arts
and to make of them pale shadows, having
no use or place in any true educational
system, This is the reason why so many
of them are failures" Every New
England state has educated and able
farmers, who, if called to the work,
would, like Mr.. Sanborn make the indus.
trial colleges beacon lights of progress.
There are in Vermont to-day, II dozen
men whom we personally know who
might, if they had the opportunity, do as
much to promote the fame of our agricul-
tural college as Mr.. Sanborn has done
i n our sister state. But if one of them, or
any one like them, is chosen for the work
Cor if he should chance to, is allowed to
10 it, it will be laundering surprise.
How not TO do it, so far, has been the
problem. Mr.. Sanborn has filled only the
post of farm manager, but he is the single
man connected with the New Hampshire
agricultural college whose name is known
to the farmers, or through whom the col
lege has any reputation at home or abroad
We trust some one may be found to re-
place him, not only in the interest of the
college itself, but of New England agri-
culture, and as an example to the other
industrial colleges. But if such another
Is found, it will be on farm and not in a |
class room. Under the Sanborn manage.
ment the New Hampshire college farm
has given the past year clear net income |
of S ,O52, besides giving to the public |
between four and five hundred dollars in |
the cost of experimental work of the |
highest value, made public through the
press. Mr.. Sanborn has demonstrated |
that farming can be made to pay and in
the last place, too, where anybody has
expected ia college farm. In some
points, by his experiments, he has upset
popular ideas, but he has done it practl.
cally, by measure ard weight. He has
proved that we may cut our hay too early,
as we'll as too late. He has shown that
the German feeding tables are not relia.
bic guide for American farmers; land
(perhaps the greatest miracle OF ally, he
has shown that beef can be grown at a
profit in New Hampshire, He has done
much TO popularze the growth of grain in
New Hampshire in showing how, by large
fields and machine culture, it can be
done at rs good profit AS in the west.
These are some of the things Mr.. San
born has done in the few years of bis work
at the New Hampshire college, and much
more he had in hand which must, we fear
be dropped and come to nothing in conSe
quence of his removal to the west. Per
haps he may have successor who will
the work, but lightning rarely
strikes twice in place. In the departure
of Mr.. Sanborn from New Hampshire,
that state suffers deprivation akin to thai
which Vermont endured in the rnmovlI o,
Prof. Collier. The latter, On i wider
field has shown how great was our loss;
and we are quite sure that The time is not
long err New dampshire Will b. rc5re
ting in vain, bu deeply, that matter OF
dollar and GEMS should have permit d
such ,acriic f strength where strengtr
is SO greatly needed n tho Gr mite state