Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-21

trial pursuits to obtain some knowledge of
the practical sciences related to agri-
culture and the mechanic arts, such as
they could not then obtain at most of
our institutions called classical colleges.
where the languages-Greek and Latin,
French and German-absorbed perhaps
two-thirds Of all time Of the students
while in college.
But il never was intended to force
the boys of farmers going into these in
situations so to study that they should
all come out farmers. 1t was merely
intended to give them an opportunity to
! do so, and to so with advantage If
they saw fit
obviously not manual but intellec-
tual instruction was the paramount OBJ
ject. 1t was not provided that agricul-
tural labor n the field should be practi-
cally taught, any moro than the mechani-
cal trade of a carpenter or blacksmith
should be taught Secondly, IL was a lib
eral education that was proposed Clas-
steal studies were not to be excluded,
and therefore must be included. The act
of 1852 proposed a system of broad edu-
cation by colleges, not limited to a super
fetal and dwarfed training such as might
be had at an industrial school, nor a
mere manual training such as might be
supplied by foreman Of a workshop or
bye foreman of an experimental farm.
If any would have only a school with
equal scraps of labor and of instruction
or something other than college, they
would not obey the national law. Ex-
perience in manual labor, in the handling
of tools and implements, is not to be
dtsparaged; in the proper time and place
1t is most essential, and generally some
thing of this may be obtained either be-
fore or after the college term, out should
not largely interfere with the precious
time required for a definite amount of
Scientific aud Iffarary NfrIfIfra x1yl1foh oil
| earnest students are apt to find far too
limited"
Your president truly said: Agricultural
education must be theoretical, scientific,
practical" Colonel Peck will have it
nothing but practical The law requires
it to be all that President Hughes men,
toned as desirable and at the university
we are endeavoring &c make 1t meet all
the requirements, both scientific and
practical.
''Now, II Colonel Pecks college was
established at a cost TO the state Of $780,
eco or more, the next thing the state
would have to do would be to pay his
professors and teachers, for the secre-
rotary of agriculture would at once tell
him that his college was not the kind
! Of college required by tho Morrill, act, or
its Amendment, and the buildings would
| either remain empty Of the professors
and pupils, or else the state would have
to provide money TO run II.
"In his criticisms on the institution,
Colonel Peek did not give a solitary fig
| ure later than the year 1899; not a fact
dating since my election; he did not men
| ton the fact that in my report to the
| board of trustees last year I reported
| 1872 students in the State College of Agri-
| culture and Mechanical Arts-that is, stu
| dents who are being taught what the
Morrill, act requires, namely, the branches
| of learning related to agriculture and
mechanic arts, including the other clas-
steal and scientific studies required by
| the bill. OF this 132 students, 20 were reg
| istered In the winter course in agricul-
| ture, and three were candidates for the
| full degree. Not these alone, however,
| are receiving an education that would
! qualify them for agriculture. The B. 3.
| degree is a preparation for agriculture
] as a pursuit in life, even where the stu
dent does not elect to take the special
| lectures on that subject. The university
( has 1893 alumni among its graduates who
! are farmers. This is about 25 per cent of
| the total number of alumni whose occu-
! pations are known. A large majority of
! them are successful agriculturists and
| took the B. S. degree in the State College
| of Agriculture but did not take the spe-
| cial agricultural course.
1.-THE largest and most successful of
| the state colleges in the union is that OF
! Wisconsin, in which, in fifteen years,
there have only been fifteen students in
| agriculture but they have had large num-
bers of students enrolled in the state col
lege, and In similar courses to those now
| existing at the university.
| 1.-The department of agriculture at the
/ university has now been brought on the
campus, seven acres having been set apart
| for experimentation of the intensive