The herald., 1896-11-28
CA6dress an communications of an agri-
cultural nature to the Agricultural Editor)

rn1nUn1cdtf0nS
cultural nature to the Agricultural Editor)
SUMMARY OF INDICTMENTS
AGAINST THE AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE
The Herald has brought many indict-
ments against the management of our
agricultural college, and summarizes
them as follows:
Prof. Hilgards mission since his ad-
vent in this state some twenty years
ago has been conspicuous failure. He
has had charge of the agricultural col
1ege for more than twenty years. and
during that time he has not graduated
one and one-half students per annum
Indeed, Prof. Hilgard said before the last
farmers institute held in August and
September last, There is very little use
for agricultural experts in this country
as the soil is fresh and requires but lit
tie art in cultivation"
We have looked in vain for graduates
OF Prof Hilgard's in our wineries, in our
sugar factories, in our great meat pack
Ing houses, in our canneries and fruit
preserving establishments. in our fer
tifizer manufactures and among our
horticultural commissioners. If one
or two, by chance, may pop up in some
of these concerns. their records have
been so inconspicuous that they are like
the needle in the haystack--hard to find.
We have looked in vain for single
crop that Prof. Hilgard has shown the
ranchers how to improve either in guam
tity or quality although we have found
many who have asked his advice, some
of whom say that they have received
no benefits from following it, and other,
that they were positively damaged by
following it.
Prof. Hilgard's chronological depart
ment is a disgrace alike to himself, the
university and the state His last re-
port states that there is no male to the
oh q fnr lvo MN
to a simple statement of facts Prof.
Hilgard seems to be incapable of so
doing. which is the first requisite of
man manking any claims to be scientific.
For example, in the July QS95) number
of the California Cultivator he said.
'All my recommendations so made
(meaning on soil analysis) have been
followed by culture tests. but usually
on larger scale than DR.. Woodbridge's,
but the results have not been paraded in
the papers" In August, 1895. the writer
called on the professor to state where
abouts these tests had been made, bu.
the professor failed to answer. We
know that he had not carried on any
such tests on the Chapman ranch, on
the Crank ranch, on the Brigdon ranch
and on many other ranches where he
had given advice.
There are many other like cases with
in the following pages which show Prof.
Eilgard to be utterly devoid of the first
requisite of man of science He should
be retired in the interests of the ranch
ers, the students and the honor of the
state.
The Berkleyan of November 18th
makes another reply to the complaints
which these columns have made against
the irane methods of the director of the
agricultural college.
We have read the article. but regret
that it is not before US, and that we call
not present it to our readers and an
swer it's specific statements.
The purpose of the article, however,
is evidently to divert attention from the
only question which is of any possible
interest. i.e., Has the college done and
is it doing for the agricultural interests
of the state what such an institution
should do? We have pronounced its
work to be a hopeless failure in this re-
spect and we have fortified our conclu-
sion by the testimony of many witnesses
who, in different departments of tillage,
have sought aid at the college but have
met only disappointment. In view of
these facts, The Herald has insisted that
new counsels shouM prevail and that
the immense funds provided for the in
stitution should not be wasted to abet
fanciful theories, feeding a corps of
experimenters while the ranchmen go
hungry.
THE very head and front of our offend
ing
Hath this extent-no more.
For this we have been assailed, our
motives impugned, and falsehoods have
been invented to break the force of our
charges. But The Herald does not pro-
pose to be diverted from it's line of duty
by turning aside to minor issues. Cali
fornia needs and has furnished facili-
ties for college that shall graduate
men to build up it's interests identified
with the field. men competent to be at
the head of it's dairies, its vineyards,
its orchards, its drying establishments,
its sugar houses and beet plantations.
So far as we have been able to learn the
college has accomplished as little in
these respects as if it had been located
on the barren mountains of the moon.
The Herald has no misgivings as to
what it owes the public under these
conditions.
We may be allowed, however, a word
In reference to the attempt of the
Berkeleyan to make this controversy
personal matter When that paper ad-
mits our fairness" in publishing all
that has been written in behalf of the
college by Mr.. Henderson and the
Berkeleyan. it yields the whole case as
to personalities The Berkeeyan is
dangling on the gallows it built for
us. We have very little knowledge of
that publication, but suppose ii is ed
tied by some of the college boys. and
good deal of the article we have referred
to we must set down as a juvenile at
tempt at wit, which should have had
its place in the joking column.
THE DAIRY BUREAU