The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-02-04
AeRICULTuRAL EDUCATION AT THE A.
& III. COLLEGE.

We had heard that the Agricul-
tural Department of tire North Caro-,
lima A. and NJ College had taken on
ne life under the vigorous, business
like management of DR.. Charles VIM.
Burkett, but ''things seen are
mightier than things heard, and q
visit, to the College last Tuesday
gave us a much clearer and more
definite idea of the progress that is
being made.
And the figures showing this prog
ress can be given here at the outset
as we'll as elsewhere. In all she agri-
cultural courses this year there are
rs students last year there were
only IL. An increase of more than
800 per cent. in one year IS not a bad
showing, and makes one think twice
before calling in question DR.. Bur
kett's enthusiastic prediction that
next year he will have $50 boys tax
ing the agricultural course-and
after thinking twice n decides that
it is not worth while to dispute the
prediction at all. It is said that each
year 1850 young North Carolinians
take up farming as their life-work,
and surely $50 of these ought to be
prepared by thorough training in
scientific agriculture. Of course, it
will take time to get our people to
appreciate properly the value of
such education; but we are about
r ady TO believe that with DR.. Bur
kett's faith and energy, backed by
an intelligent and sympathetic Col
lege President and Board of Trus-
tees, the Agricultural Department
can moro than double the $50 with
in five years.
"But what are they teaching at
the College that the farmer boy can
not learn equally we'll by blowing,
and hoeing and hauling as homer"
Well, let us see. When we went
out last Tuesday the agricultural
students were at work in the dairy.
DR.. Burkett says that he believes
tina. no business in which any one
can engage in North Carolina will
pay better than farming, and thatno
branch of farming will pay better
than dairYing. Fifty. eight students,
representing three generations, are
now taking the dairy course. The
Oldest student has celebrated his
sixty eighth birthday since he began
this work early in January, and
students of II and of 35 are also here.
Furthermore, a young lady student
in dairying is the latest acquisition
of which the College boasts. And it
was good TO see the enthusiasm with
which this class went about its work
Improved dairying apparati are
here, and the student learns from
actual experience the management
of the cream separator, the Babcook
test, the sailing and working of but
ter, the management of the COWS,
etc., etc. Neat, orderly business.
like is all the work; and conducted
in this manner in a State so we'll
adapted to it as is North Carolina,
dairying is certain TO pay. The
students taught here will never ego
it blind" not knowing by actual
tests which COWS give milk with most
butter fat, and which methods pay
best in each phase of, their business.
Mr.. j. A. Kendall, of New Hamp.
shire, gives all his time TO the dairy
work, and his knowledge OF how to
make butter that will command the
highest prices is attested by the fact
that he received 80 cents per pound
for butter made in his New Hamp-
shire creamery last summer. AS we
have pointed out before, the profit
on n pound of a high grade pr oduct
like this is as great as the profit on
ten times the quantity of an average
article made and put upin the "aver-
age" way. The only man who over
amounts TO anything here below is
the man who is not content with
merely average" ways of doing
things. Josh Billings says that "the
average man is Junk head"-what-
ever that may be the term TO US
sounds unoomplimentary.
But to ''resoom and continue on, "
as Josiah Aliens Wife would say
Dairying is only one of the many de-