Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-26

College Station. Tex. March 1898.
To the Honorable Board OF Directors
Agricultural aud Mechanical college of
Texas:
Gentlemen-ln the report OF the legisla-
tive committee which recently visited the
college, occurs the following language:
The management of the college las been
such az TO divert IL In a great measure
from the plain purpose of its found
ing"
Recognizing the fact that your honor
able body has virtually left the making
mp Of the course of study IN CIR hands
and has exercised only formal super
vision Of IL, we feel that we are re-
sponsible for the course as It is, and
doom II proper hat we should give you
some expression IN regard TO the state
ment quoted above. We assert that this
Is an agricultural college la fact as well
rs in pane, and that Il Is not diverted
la u great measure frCSn the plain pur-
pose Of It's founding In support of this
position we submit:
That during the four years work in
the agricultural course, the student re-
ceives instruction In the following sub
jects; Elementary agriculture, domestic
animals, botany, fruit culture selection
OF dairy stock, stock breeding. vegetable
culture, systematic botany, vetereuny
medicine, entomology, feeding OF live
stock, agricultural chemistry, farm drain
age, plant physiology, forestry, fertilizers,
farm management, forage plants and IN
furious insects. In addition practice Is
required IN the following Subjects Field
and garden work, horticulture, drawing,
creamery work, chemistry entomology
cattle feeding, land surveying, dissoct-
ing, microscopic work In veterinary med
icue and botany. These are the sub
iects which lie ot the foundation OF n
scicutihc and practical education in agli-
culture. A comparison with tie cugIicula
of other agricultural colleges will show
that we are supported IN this belief by
the judgment of men in other states, who
have given time and thought 70 this
matter Without going into details we
submit that the mechanical course com
pares fayOrahly with the agricultural in
the time devoted TO it and In the studies
pursued. Its efficiency Is conceded by
| tie committee. We assert that the
COURSES open 10 the student at this college
do present TO him an opportunity Of ac-
curing theoretical and practical knowl-
edge Of such branches Of learning as
are related TO agriculture and mechanic
arts
Now, then, ia It true that undue atten-
ton Is given 10 those auxiliary subjects
| referred To in the law of congress in the
words without excluding other scientl-
| iic and classical studies. and including
military tacticsW In other words, has
/ the college been converted largely into
n literary and military schoolY On
| this point we beg leave TO submit that
| the instructions In English does not 20
| beyond the point which should be reached
| by an educated man In any calling That
| no foreign language Is required of stu
| dents in either the agricultural or
mechanical course.
We appreciate the value of the study
Of foreign languages as n mental disci-
| pine, and MS an important aid IN the
| prosecution Of scientific work in any de-
| partment, but, at the same time, We
| have purnosely and pesistently kept these
studies out of the agricultural and
| mechanical courses.
In the military department the drill
and other duties are so interviewer with
good order and discipline that the faculty
have been unwilling % curtail the one
nc the risk of impairing the other. The
| steady improvement IN the matter of dis
| clpline IN the last three years has, IN 0ul
| opinion, fully warranted the allotment Ol
the time which h devoted 90 this depart
ment And. in this connection Il may
be well 60 show the actual time spent IL
| military work. The military exercises q
| all Kinds occupy time equivalent 10 az
average Of about four and one-hnlf hour
per week during the fall and sprins
terms. There Is no drlil durnl
the winter term, guard mount
nected With discipline. REGULATIONS h
tnctics occupy two hours per week fol
| the winter term for the second class only