The Portland daily press., 1898-12-09


Little more than generation ago our
agricultural colleges were unknown.
They were started to educate the people
in those things by which they earn their
living whether in the shop or in the field.
The results that have been gained in
the last thirty years are not just what
were expected. But this is not an unoom-
mon thing nor does 1t prove the plans
were failures. Few men have followed
| agricultural courses in comparison with
the number who were expected to do SO
yet some of the results obtained have been
of the highest Importance. Their first
great success lies in the fact that they
the higher education cheap Then they
have championed the farmer. They have
increased his product, guided his labor
and enlarged his opportunity. 1t is a
great benefit to humanity to make life a
little easier living. Those are not Presi-
dent Harris words but his idea. These
| colleges have also educated the present
leaders in progressive agriculture and In
science, and of the Orono graduates
President Harris named such educators as
Jordan. Balentine and Scribner. The
agricultural experiment. station Is another
important feature of progress. and OF
very recent date. He limited that the
Babcock milk test might be worth as
much to the country as the discovery of
gold in California
Then the methods of dealings with
plant diseases which have been and are
| being developed promise to be of untold
value to the farmer. These colleges are
on the watch for the farmers interest and
most of the recent legislation for his
benefit has been originated by these insti-
tutions. Next, they have trained the men
who have taught the farmers. He spoke
OF the Importance of farmers Institutes
and said that university extension was
an old idea when the classical COLLEGES
thought they were originating it. The
question whether a university or college
was the better depended somewhat upon
whether agriculture was like man or not.
If 1t was it was not good for it to be left
alone. The university system allows free
dom Of choice and not all farmers sons
are fitted by nature or disposition to be-
come farmers. A liberal education ought
to mean one that Is free from any faint of
narrowness. Then in the broader institu.
tion the boy no matter for what profession
or vocation be Is studying has better
chance 10 measure those destined to other
pursuits and learns to respect them.
Boys must leave the farm. In other
branches of business when there Is a de-
preston men try to squeeze others ont of
the competition. The farmer seems to
think his boys should stay in his line, al
though the census sho US that while the
population of the country has doubled the
number of farmers has remained station
airy. Tho university trains teachers and
hitherto the high school teachers have
been sending all whom they could inf1u-
ence to the classical colleges.
DR.. harris closed by arguing that the
farmers and teachers ought to be working
together. and respecting each other. We
may spend too much in ships and guns
and Notifications, but we cannot spend
too much iii buying skill for "the men
who stand behind the guns
The session was declared ended by
President W. q. Moody with few words
of hearty congratulations
The awards of premiums on dairy
cheese, both sage and plain, went to Il.
Q. Smith of Plymouth, N. II. On plain
factory cheese, II. 8. Hardison of Caribou
was adJudged the winner.
The competitions on creamery and dairy
butter were open to all New England. In
the former class out Of sixty-fve entries
thirty-five were scored above ninety
points out of a possible one hundred. The
Deerfoot farm at Southboro, Mass,
carried off the honors. its twoEentries be.
in marked at ninety seven and ninety
seven and one-half out Of one hundred.
The Suncook Valley, N. H., creamery
came next with ninety-six and three.
quarters, and three others scored ninety
six; the Skowhsgan Jersey creamery, the
Bell Brook Of East johnson. Vt, and the
Walden of South Walden, vt.
In dairy butter the average was not
quite SO high. The top notch was reached
~ So Cs AOuOUu VI 4NVEu4 <tf1Sy WuO
lacked only quarter of a point of touch.
Ing ninety-seven, while Frank N. Blan-
chard Of Cumberland reached ninety six
end the Maine Agricultural Experiment
station ninety five and one-half. Mrs. G.
j. Nelson of Ryegate, VT, received the
special prize of the Vermont Farm
Machine company for butter made from
cream separated by the United States
separator. For the second the North
Montpelier Co-Operative creamery and
the Corinth, Vt, creamery were tied. The
Kendall s. Whitney special prize for the
highest score made by users of the Stod-
dard barrel churn went to A. J. Abbott
of North Paris and the second to r., N.
Blanchard of Cumberland Center. The
Suncook Valley creamery took the Mosely
& Stoddard prize for those using the De
Laval separator.
The poultry premiums were awarded as
follows:
Past m ~, vo1toxr, ,,,oofad VI