The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-11-04
Agricultural Colleges.

However it may be in Vermont, there
is no doubt that in many states the
farmers are becoming very much in
terested in the agricultural colleges en-
dowed by the United States govern
ment through the efforts of our Senator
Morrill,. Major H. E. Alvord of
Houghton Farm, New York, has lately
published a discriminating article on
these colleges, an extract from which
some of our readers, and we hope
many of them, will read with interest.
He says:
Admitting popular opinion I'M
friendly to the agricultural colleges,
it is found on examination to be in
definite, and when one intelligently ex-
amines, singly, any of the leading in
situations of this class, the good show
ing it can make is really surprising and
very little can be found to criticise
Taken in detail, nearly all of these
colleges will bear very close scrutiny.
AS rule, they are well located, fairly
equipped, properly organized and Of
ficered, and with able and earnest in
structors, working upon well-matured
plans, they are as competent to accom-
plish their special work as any technical
schools existing. 1t is the province of
the technical schools or colleges to
furnish to young people who have the
right kind of stuff in them to make
students such opportunities as will
facilitate education in the chosen line.
Tho fa1lnyUc Uhn 20
colleges to be educated,' generally
make sorry work of it, no matter what
the course of study. The agricultural
college must not be expected to make
silk purses out of sows' ears, or sows'
ears out of silk purses, but the earnest
youth who seeks TO educate himself will
find excellent facilities for so doing at
almost all of the Immigrant colleges.
And it will, as a rule, be found the fault
of the man, not of the college, if he turns
aside from the life pursuit originally
chosen. 1t may be well doubted, more
over, whether it is any loss to agricul-
ture, or any injury or discredit to the
colleges, to have more or less of their
graduates in occupations other than
farming. We need more naturally
competent, thoroughly educated, pro-
gressive farmers. But the farming in
terests need equally appreciative friends
in all the pursuits of life. Wherever a
graduate of an agricultural college is
found-if he is not actually engaged in
farming or some closely kindred oc-
cupation, as most of them really are, he
will be found to be an intelligent
friend of agriculture. If half the grad
yates of these colleges could be thus
well distributed in other pursuits, it
would be direct benefit to the pro-
gress of American farming.
{" 1t is too often forgotten that the in
situations in question are all yet young,
and also that number of them are
but invisible attachments to older col
leges, which have absorbed the ma
tional endowment without any effort to
carry out its intent. Due allowance
should be made for these facts before
any sweeping denunciation. Many a
prosperous educational institution to-
day has seen the time when, with en-
dowments and efforts equal to our ag-
ricultural colleges, and no more age,
the results were no better and their
prospects not as bright. Age is an all
important element to success in COL
lege, especially in one upon new
model. And it is wholly illogical to
base criticisms of whole class of in
situations upon few which exist only
in name, or as the youngest and neg
lected department of a long-established
college or university, whose atmosphere
is devoid of any industrial element.
Any fair critic must admit that where
agricultural colleges pure and simple