The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-12
How to Farm Cannot BE Learned
From Books Alone.


We quote the following remarks from
the Practical Farmer Of Philadelphia:
Mr.. J. B. Hunnicutt gives an interesting
| account in the Cotton Planters Journal
Of Agricultural Education in Georgia"
telling Of the utter failure of the Agri-
cultural College and the great success of
the Agricultural Experiment Station IN
der the management of DR.. Reddlng In
this article the amazing statement IS made
that when a committee was sent to in
vestigate the agricultural college 81 was
stoutIy maintained by the president and
members of the faculty that agriculture
cannot be taught" 1t is very evident
from Mr.. Hunnicutt's article, that it has
not been taught az the college in Georgia
erected for the purpose, but that agricul-
ture cannot be taught by men who know
something about it, is a statement so alb
surd that it is no wonder that the com
mittee, by large majority, reported the
college a failure. The sufficient answer to
any such contention Is the fact that ag-
riculture is being taught and taught sue
cessfully IN other states where the col
leses have had "a fair showing, and have
had men in them competent to do the
work Men who will contend that agri-
culture cannot be taught are certainly not
the men to teach IL, and the failure Of the
college in Georgia is not to be wondered
at.
But back of all this lies the fact that the
college in Georgia has been simply an ap-
pendage TO the State University and the
public, like the public in some other states,
considered the education offered to be OF
a lower grade than that of the old col
leges and so-called universities. Hence
when the college is located under the con-
troll of the university board it was really
considered lower department of instruc-
ton, and the university students came TO
look down on the men who were studying
agriculture as a lower set of students The
education of a properly constituted college
OF agriculture and mechanical arts is or
should be of a higher grade than that of
the old classical colleges in the fact that
IT adds 10 the curriculum the rounding out
that laboratory work gives, and makes
a higher grade of education, an education
of the whole man. The student from such
a college, when properly conducted, goes
forth, not like the old time college gradu-
ate, with head crammed with all the lore
Of the ancients and knowing nothing that
the work-a-day world OF to-day stands
ready 10 pay him for knowing but men so
trained that they are ready at once to take
ho.d eHectually at some point in the com
pick activity of modern life, and to be
leaders of thought and work We hone
that the college in Georgia will soon be in
such an independent position and under
such administration that il can and viii
teach agriculture and the mechanic arts
as successfully as any other. The empire
state of the South certainly is rich enough
to have real college and 10 support il
with the national funds. Her experiment
station has taken a high rank among the
stations and there is no reason why com
peteut men should not make the college
Just as successful if they are put where
1t can be done. But 1t will never be done
While the college is mere appendage 10
the university and does not rank as a
first-class college.