National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-12
What Arc ArrIculturnl COLLEGES? ?

their summer holidays, IL is incumbent
upon thoughtful parents to find out, from
an examination made by some competent
person, the general progress Of their chill
dren. This we regard as a most serious
and solemn duty, and to its neglect may be
attributed the vast prevailing amount Of
arant ignorance found among boys es-
pecially, and boys, too, whose parents
have spared no pains to find
suitable training ground for children who
are expected to be educated.
The result Of such examination would
show much more clearly than the private
system Of school tests, followed, as those
inevitably are, by the e.thanSolomou
arrayed-in.all-his.glory Of commandments,
with their speeches, nice dresses, and all
the other paraphernalla of picnic.
II would also show parents whether chill
dren have made such reasonable advance as
would Justify their remaining any longer at
the old school, or whether II were not better
to remove more promptly to some institu-
tlon in which sham knowledge is held In
more esteem than motley ignorance.
Such remarks have been suggested by
strong editorial which recently appeared in
the New York Sun. 1t contained in one Of
its paragraphs the statement that nearly all
schools and colleges throughout the couu-
try, intended for special training, chad
failed ignominiousy," and, going on TO
the agricultural colleges, It asserted that
they had been, with very few exceptions,
"the most conspicuous failures Of ALL"
q T. a.. H. a a 4 l..
be II any intelligent man will examine for
an hour the utterly illogical and contra
dictory principles upon which these colleges
were founded-one in each stately the
national government. more than twenty
years ago.
1t was a great political point gained for
a congressional aspirant when he told his
constituents that he would aid to the best
Of his ability, any measure which should
enable the farmers of his state to acquire
special knowledge of the various soils in
their district. This knowledge would help
all farmers to get the best crops every year.
and, from the grandeur Of the interested
political rhetoric, and the brllliance OF the
gaudily covered catalogues, It seemed
probable enough that not only would this
knowledge acquired at such farming col
leges gain Grstclass farms in the United
States, but that II would enable the pos
SCISSORS to acquire, after passing through the
valley Of death, well-stocked and prosper
Gus acres in the land that is fairer than
this.
Under such sounds Of drum and brazen
trumpet the agricultural colleges grew up,
as upon another occasion the walls OF
Jericho grew down. But what have any
of those colleges ever doneP Has anybody
ever heard Of q great scientific farmer who
brought priceless knowledge Of soil and
fertilizer analysis to the common stock OF
scientific knowledge which is to remain
permanently valuable, and also heard that
this prodigy had been educated at any OF
the thirty.eight farming colleges in the
| United States?
Is II even on record that pupils OF such
| places are more scientific farmers than their
neighbors who never got beyond the dis
| trict school? Is 1t even q fact that the
farming college man is as prudent, as hard
working, energetic, thoughtful, and sue.
cessful as he, who "man and boy'' never
left his own fences out of sight except when
he went to the county town to vote or to
serve on jury?
We here take the opportunity Of
promptly answering the last of those ques
tions. 1t is not fact within our expe-
rience and obseryation-the results oi
which shall be all placed upon record In
good time-that the agricultural college
| fc for NI,a,,
or is ever likely to be, as long as the present
system lasts Of making presidencies OF suct
places mere political jobs.
But there is further reason, almost O
corollary Of the sinecure business, and 1t is
that each agricultural college is governed
by quasi.milltary discipline, very poor
and very thin ia its way, yet strong
enough to obviate completely all the agri
cult ural designs of the pious founders.
Everybody who is anybody knows per.
fectly well that II you take boy OF Il
and imbue his mind with deep respect fol
military parade, forsword belts, gold bands
white gloves, and the company honors
ranging in dignity from lieutenant to cor
poial, there is not much chance OF satisfy
ing his aspiring soul with the tail of {
plough or with garden Of the finest pota
| toes.
Yet each of those colleges is founded OF
such divergent interests, on the plea, a,
usually stated, that young men are trained
to be competent soldiers In time OF war
, This is undoubtedly so on the principle
that when the sky falls we shall have nc
difficulty in catching larks, hut then the
sky saint a-goin' to fall"
Among other reasons for this tin-pot militll
soldiery is the splendid exercise 1t affords
at such little outlay of time. No doubt
drill is fair exercise, though officers are by
no means the best fellows In the school
There are many other exercises for boys
which are far more strengthening and more
manly. Furthermore, boy.ofllcers are gen
orally tyrants Of the most contemplate
type, and rarely among the really good
| fellows OF the school. The average boy
intended by his parents for peaceful and
laborious profession, but who himself Il
bent on buttons or military splash, is mol
much in his class room, and, to our mind
there are few things more damnable for
high.minded, clear-headed boy than--al
the present writer has often seen ito bt
bucketed about by some fellow who is hal
knave or half fool.
The only true reason why this mock
soldering is tolerated by boys with any
brains is that told us In confidence by boy
who would have been fine fellow In free
and-easy citizen clothes, but who, In thu
blazing light Of his brass buttons, looked
for all the world like long Saratoga trunl
standing perpondicularly, studded will
brass nails, and cut out into the graceful
form Of coffin. ave like the buttons
he said, with beautiful nairete, "because 1
we had not some sort OF a uniform he girl
WOuldR't care button about uS.n
In conclusion, we know something abou
so.called agricultural college, which, witt