The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-03-02
The Experiment Station and the
Agricultural College.

- "''" 'HS euOJ0oo' PIcAeI Iho
state should delay accepting for two
years the United States fund for an
Experiment Station rather than il
should be gwen to the Agr cultural
College.
The College is essentially private
institution. The state, it is true, is a
part owner and has seven memb r.
of Board of Trustees, whilst the
private owners have FIVE. In effect,
however the direction is lett to these
last, and it is well known that for years
at time legal meetings of the Board
have not been held This brings the
control into the hands of few indivii
uals.
This control substantially the anne
for the past twelve or fifteen years,
resu ted in the entire suhordination of
the agricultural features of the college,
rcquired by law to be The leading ones;
in succession of failures and tolies
almost beyond imagining as possible;
alienation of support aud sympathy of
the agricultural community; the with
drawal Of the states appropriation; the
'oss fpatronage. untiln nnw. with cap
acity Of $50 pupils, it has only some
forty and is more than $4,000 in
deb. Notwithstanding it has long
received $1,000 annually from he
UniteL STATES. and now some $1,000
more from the states for ins Jection of
fertilizers
Although by its charter. and by the
United States law. which was accepted
by the state. the college was to be
school where agriculture and the
mechanic arts were to have conspicuous
place, 1t has been in reality an ordinary
boarding school, drawing pupils from
the cities, competing with private
enterprises and able to underbid them
by its generous public endowment; lis
farm-instead of being the "Model
Farm" required by law-absnlutely
untitled, or. rented out. field by field,
to nelghboring cultivators.
At its head have been clergymen.
sailors, soldiers; sugar brokers, each
pr >destined-as all saw but those who
appointed them-to unerring failure,
but never man of science and prac
tical skill commanding the confidence
of the farmers. Various grotesque
schemes were tried to mend its fortunes
until the farmers aroused to the folly
of such proceed ngs, appealed to sue
cessive Legislatures, which session af
ter session refused appropriations
sou ght to be renewed
1t is significant that there is not on
record single appeal from any farm
ers' organization in favor of the college
all the pressure brought to bear from
time to time, as now again on its be-
halt having been from those response
BILE for its fallen condition, or who
were its benefciaries.
To meet the protest of the farmers.
the management has been fruitful of
promises of amendment, but none of
these ever bore fruit, and the condition
of affairs came to be such last summer
that the late Governor of the stat,,
who visited the college unexpectedly.
is said by the daily press to have de-
clared, that whatever else it wanted.
it certainly needed soap and water"
1t is no excuse for this condition of
things to say there was no money
Teachers and pupils, from the tuition
fees and the contributions from the
state treasury, might have been kent
at good hotel. What was lacking
was capacity and business manage
ment
One who is a spendthrift, or conspic-
uous for bad management financially.
does not improve on falling heir to a
great sum and the directors of this in
s'itution. who have been signaliy unfor-
tunate have no claims to the considera.
tion which marked success might have
given. They who are faithful over
few things are made rulers over many
This is worldly wisdom, and has a high
er sanction.
A long succession of dismal failures
and disappointments is not the prelude
to successful Inauguration and career
of an institution like an Experiment
Station, which demands careful and in.
tNlligent direction. 1t is not claimed
that the college can do anything for the
station it is only hoped the station
may help the college out of the mire.
Such hope is. in the light of exper-
ience. fallacious and doomed to be ex
tinguished
Another practical objection, apart
from all this, is that at the college there
are no accommodations for the Expert
ment Station. By the law the appro-
priation cannot be used for erecting
buildings, and to a very moderate ex-
tent only, for their repair. BesidsR
the college building proper, the .efly
structure is the old Rossburg gKouse
suited in, no wise for the PURPOSES Of
Standardization Farmer.