The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-03-22
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
PROPOSED ADDITIONAL APPROPRIA
TIONTO AGRICULTURALC COLLEGE.
SWEET AIR, ND, March 18th. ian

SWEET AIR, Nd, March 18th, 1902
AeSsrs. Editors II have read the article in the
County Gentleman of March 9th by Judge William
d. Sands, in which he opposes such an appropria-
ton, and have also read the sharp criticism in
The UNION by,Mr. Asa B. Gardiner, Jr of Mr.
Sands article. Now like Mr.. Sands have not
read up the Hatch and Morrill, acts and the limi-
tations under which these moneys are expended.
but only voice an opinion, and our individual
opinions Ometimes show how the masses of
farmers think of these things.
/ think the experiments conducted at the Ag-
ricuItural College on fertilizers, soils, crons
feeding, ETC., are of great Importance and value
to the farmers at large. Think the information
obtained by looking up the analyses of the brands
of fertilizers intends to buy for several years
back is alone worth good deal to any man who
buys much commercial fertilizer. And the same
is true of other branches of work as conducted
there for the benefit of the interests
of the State. 1t Is also possible for a young
farmer to take valuable short course in what
ever branch he may be particularly interested.
But there Is good deal more taught indk
rectly at the Agricultural College than agricuk
ture and its branches, which believe 1t Wo37l4
be wise to eliminate before appropriating $4,000
more. / know about seven young men who have
graduated there and out of the seven. after the
course, only one retained an idea of being q
farmer; the rest were imbued with the idea Of
posing as military cadets and athletes, and as
such they continued to pose until they secured
positions clerks somewhere, or took up that
universal haven of farmers SONS who don't like
the arduous life of the farm and studied medi-
cine. will make the broad assertion that the
Agricultural College as a military academy for
young men is ridiculous, just as the experiments
and short courses for practical farmers are val
liable acquisitions to the State.
This is practical age and If, as Mr.. Gardiner
says, the college receives $1,000 from the State
of Maryland. the salaries for the professors from
the U. s. Government and the tuition fees from
the students, it is in receipt of a good deal OF
money. and If expended in a practical way it
ought to do great deal for the farming classes
Yet he says the tuition fees run 81 400 short of
the amount expended for board, laundry, etc.
A young man seeking information in earnest on
subject does not mind paying at least enough
money for his board and laundry and would
willingly pay well for these while at the college.
AT the same time think it waste of public
money to ask the State board of aid and charities
to spend 100000 in teaching the higher branches
tors, who have no manifest desire to profit by
what the State is spending on them.
Mr.. Gardiner says Mr.. Sands is narrow minded,
because he advocates educating farmers only at
an agricultural school. I fail to see in what he
can be termed narrow minded. Think Mr.. GAR
diner makes the opposite mistake, for he would
hardly send son to the dentist if he wanted his
hair cut. Very truly. o.- -.
EDWARD ]. O'DONOyAN 3