Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-07-15
VERMONT AGRICULTURE.
APPROPRIATION NEEDED FOR
DAIRY SCHOOL.
Farmers Safeguard Our institutions
Necessity for Improved Methods
Short Courses in Scientific Farming
and Dairying.

Public sentiment TO a large extent
shapes the laws of our state or nation
To bring about any change or to Sc
cure any needed legislation, the first
requisite Is TO create public sentiment
In favor of IL. Do we need NORTH
hall In Vermont
Through the efforts or vermont
Ihonored senator, Justin S. Morrill,, the
LAND Grant colleges" were estap-
Ilished, The Importance of agriculture
was early recognized by the founders
Of orr country. II Is the only indus
try that conserves the wealth or per-
Imanent prosperity of our state or our
nation. The safeguard of this nation
is the man behind the plow." From
his ranks so per cent of the business
NO., ~ orr cities are called. The
time is passed for him TO be ridiculed
by the artists brush or authors pen
as illiterate, tricky, ignorant OF an
proper construction Of language and
obstinate in matters of dress or OBJ
saryance of society manners. 1t is the
farmers who not only feed the mil
! lions but safeguard our institutions
| II ia the men who are shaping the
agriculture OF the twentieth CEN
fury that are making secure the gov
eminent at Washington, Agriculture
is worthy Of the most critical study
and closest adoption by the student OF
the future for down through all cy-
Giles of time the hills and valleys of
our state will yield an increasing har-
vest TO him who cooperate with the
laws of nature and unlocks the forces
hid in the bosom of Mother Earth.
AS we touch elbows with the giant
forces to-day, there is growing de-
mand in all departments Of farm lie
to know the why" that we may pet
ter know the "how." II brain direct
the hands, life will not become a
drudgery, and he, who gets into the
closest touch with nature and natures
laws. viii see the most beauty In ev-
cry passing plant and flower. Vermont
must follow the example of other New
England states While we cannot use
the gang pillow or the traction engine
of the west yet machinery must to
natural extent be used and it's princi-
ples accepted. The labor problem OF
to-day overshadows all others in the
mind of the average farmer. Without
the use of right machinery, compete
ton cannot be met to-day.
To illustrate, in Aroostook county,
Me-, the great potato growing section
of the east, by the introduction of the
potato planter, the high pressure,
mower sprayer, improved cultiyators
and potato digger, ten acres of pota-
toes can be cared for as cheaply as one
acre by the former hand method. The
agriculture of tomorrow is not the
agriculture of yesterday. Extensive
agriculture must be the motto ana
those who will not conform to its con-
dition will have to sit in the chimney
corner and catch only q faint echo
of din of the procession as it passes
by. Is Vermont keeping apace with
the other states in her agricultural
work? While statistics are usually
dry it may do us good to compare the
work being done in other states with
that of our own.
In the year 1902, states made APP
preparations to the land grant colleges
exclusive of experiment stations
total sum of s2,247,S12.59, or an av-
erage of $51,O7S.2s per state. Yer
monts appropriation was $4,000, or
less than one-eighth of the average.
AS against Minnesota's S214,ls2, or
even Rhode Islands $4,000 Vermonts
Sc. 900 seems rather small.
Again, the states appropriated for
experiment stations in the same year,
a total of $S,403,SS per state. YER
monts appropriation was $1,000 or
about an eighth part of the average.
For the same purpose Rhode Island
appropriated $4,000.
Under the land grant act no part of
the government funds can be used
for building purposes. Appropriation
statistics for agricultural building
purposes of all the states tabulate as
follows for three years:
1900, s7441S407; Vermont gave.....O
1901. s1,090,341.44; Vermont gave,...O
1902, s2,O66,341.70; Vermont gave,..O
We will give only the figures for
the New England states for the total
state appropriation for building pur-
poses for the agricultural colleges and
experiment stations. Maine at Orono,
s19S350; New Hampshire at Durham,
s17O. 900; Vermont at Burlington, 0;
Massachusetts, at Amherst, 100000;
Rhode Island, at Kingston, $4,000;
Connecticut, at Storrs, 100000.
Sxty-three agricultural colleges
and schools receive United states
government funds. Forty four of these
offer special or short courses to meet
the needs Old those not fitted to
pursue full collegiate course in ag-
riculture; Cd those who cannot spare
the time or money for a full course;
go those who wish to learn some one
particular branch, either for instruc-
ton or to gain proficiency; ca those
who aim to be teachers of nature
study, or elementary agriculture in the
lower schools. In addition to these,
several of the states offer high school
agricultural courses under college
auspices. In some states, Wisconsin,
California, etc, there are county ag-
ricultural high schools; in Missouri
and some others there are manual
| high schools. These schools prepare
for agricultural college entrance, but
a very large share of those who attend
them are fitting themselves for agri-
cultural life work. Vermont is an
agricultural state. Cultivation of the
soil with its allied branches of farm
economy is the main source of our
states wealth Probably IS per cent
of our population is engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits. How many of
these know the first principle of ma
lures laws?
A man to be q successful engineer
must know all about his engine. He
must understand thoroughly just how
it is made and how it is operated. To
be a successful surgeon requires years
of study to acquaint ones self with
all parts of the human body. How can