The advocate., 1897-11-10
For the Farmer.
AGRICULTURAL OOLLEqB HISTORY.


lege, the Kansas Farmer, the editor Of
which is thoroughly familiar with the
history and work Of the institution,
says:
THE fourth recommendation Of the
committee which was adopted by the
board was for the sale Of all the breeding
stock on the college farm, the purchase
of dairy herd Of grades, and the es-
tablishment of a dairy school. The fact
that prior to the slaughter Of tuber-
culous cattle last week the college had
a breeding herd Of fifty-nine head Of
pure-bred cattle, about fifty pure-bred
hogs and some pure-bred sheep, and that
these herds had been kept at consider
able though necessarily somewhat vary
ing numbers, and that no bulletins have
been issued disclosing anything disCov-
cred In the line Of stock breeding, and
that the herd has never yielded a profit
but has always been kept at o loss, may
we'll raise inquiry as to why the herd
was ever established and kept. A little
retrospect will be interesting. In the
early days of Kansas a college was
established west of Manhattan and con-
Quoted under the auspices Of the Metho-
dist church. 1t was called Blue
mont college and was a good
classical institution, under the Presi-
dency of Rev. DR.. Dennison, who still
lives and Is spending the evening Of
his days at Oakland, a pleasant suburb
of Topeka. When the agricultural col
lege land grant made 1t necessary to
locate the State Agricultural college the
enterprising town of Manhattan secured
the prize by inducing those in author
ity in Bluemont college management
to turn that institution over to the care
and control Of the State. Bluemont col
lege changed its name and was thence
forward known as the Kansas State
Agricultural college. Presently 1t dawned
upon some Of the progressive people Of
Kansas that the State Agricultural col
lege should differ considerably from a
classical and theological college Prom
inent among these innovators was Maj,
J. X. Hudson, q stock farmer among
the hills and among stumps not far
from Kansas City, and later editor OF
the Kansas Farmerr Major Hudson be-
came a Regent, and with characteristic
earnestness proposed that the college
go into fine stock, and since the cattle
industry was one of the chief in the
State the board expended from the little
money available the sum Of $1,000 for a
thoroughbred Short-horn bull. This was
at least a start in the stock business
q beginning at practical farming. Later
there came movement whereby the
Rev. DR.. Dennlson was superseded and
the Rev. John A. Anderson became Pres
ident. President Anderson turned pretty
much everything the other side up; ac-
Quired q fine farm at the edge of Man
haitian; moved the college up to the new
farm threw out Of the course all the
classics and theology and instituted an
agricultural, mechanical and scientific
course. The agricultural features took
on added development, especially in the
line of stock breeding. After the reor-
ganization had been completed President
Anderson was elected to Congress and
a new President had to be found. Prof.
r. M. Shelton occupied the chair Of ag-
riculture, He had been a student at the
Michigan Agricultural college and had
come under the instruction Of Prof. Geo.
T. Fairchild, OF that college, who stood
at the head Of the Michigan faculty. 1t
was no great task for an enthusiastic
and able man like Shelton to turn the
attention Of the Kansas Regents to Pro-
fessor Fairchild as available timber for
the Presidency. President Falrchild was
rendered the position and, stipulating
that he should be allowed pretty much
his own way in the management, ac-
cepted. Professor Shelton became natu-
rally the head Of the faculty under the
new President and, being ambitious and