Middletown transcript., 1906-12-29

THE COLLEGE
Granrers OF the State "
tion for Experimen
The agitation that has
Y started with view to secu
preparation for farm for Il
I ware College and Experimf
received hearty support f9
=, t;.eSss'e TIE farlne1
e tii..,.i < o realize
] 10 r,cti,e the creates
appropriations which
IS generously
dail
poultry
terrupted
This would ma
systems OF farm
would bring out met.
farmer out OF the old rnts,
ing lis operations more
more profitable, but also ten.
| his boys and girls on the 9efn'
to attract city people to the D
country homes.
i Il Thf.- l,ela ware College. is. we IndSSs
stand, the only land grant college thai
does not have a farm where students il
agriculture can be taught by actual prac
tice the principles of fertility, grain grow,
| Ing and indgine, stock feeding and judg
ling, drainage, irrigation, farm machinery
the use and selection Of building materials
and other valuable knowledge all o.
which serve to make the young farmer
master Of his calling, aud more efficient
and useful citizen.
Without farm where students may
get the practical training, the Agricul.
tural Department of the College can
never expect to have agricultural SIN.
dents, for the day OF "bpok farming, il
1t ever existed, is now gone forever. TIE
farm itself is becoming factor in agricul
tnral education, which is ever increasing
IN Importance, and all class room and
textbook work is bearing more and more
directly npon the soil, IFS equipment, care
and management.
There has been tendency on the pirt
oil some to qnes ion why more Of. the F. d
eral funds lave not been devoted to agri.
cultural equipment, aud for instruction
in technical agriculture. The questions
have been raised bv those who are mi
familiar With the provisions of the Fed
eral fund. After the passing of the first
Morrii Act, ii was presupposed that snit-
able land and equipment had been pro-
vided by the State for the use of the
College and Station. In consequence, il
all the second Morrill, fund amounting to
S20.OO0O0 per year were placed at the
disposal OF the Agricultural Department
OF the College. it would not help matters
in any way for with it neither could land
be bought nor buildings erected. The
College has buildings enough to meet all
present needs for teaching agriculture.
The great need is farm. with suitable
buildings, which, if they are to be had
at all, n u;t be r,yided for by the State.
When these are obtained, part of the
Morrill, as well as of the Hatch and
Adams fund can be used for purchasing
equipment and for naintainance.
There is no denying the fact that the
Agricultural College and Experiment
Station in other States have aided mater
tally in developing new agricultural in
dustries, introducing new crops. and en-
couraging new and better systems of
tillage. The results have been to increase
tile production per acre of farming land
and in consequence TO increase its value.
OF the four states Delaware, Maryland.
New jersey, and Pennsylvania, Delaware
has according to the last census, the low
est land valuation per acre. A further
study Of figures shows that Delaware is
the only State OF these four that is not
supporting its Agricultural College and
Experiment Station, outside of occasional
appropriations for buildings.
1t is often said that Delaware is such
small State and SO poor that it cannot
afford 10 do any nything for the Agricultural
College and Experiment Station. That
Delaware is small is true, but, considered
from the standpoint of population, Ari.
zoiia, Idabo, Wyoming, and Nevada are
all smaller and yet each one OF these
States appropriated last year sums vary
irg from $l4,0JO.00 to s52, 10000 to its
College aud Experiment
Station.
Considered from the point of view of
the value of farm property and of Agri-
c Iltural products, Arizona, Nevada, and
Rhode Island stand below Delaware, and
YET each one Of these States made liberal
appropriations TO their Agricultural Col
ege last year.
The question for the farmers of Della
ware to decide is whether they want an |
Agricultural College and Experiment
station with modern equipment to aid
Ihem in solving tile new problems that
ire constantly confronting them. II they
10, they should resolve themselves into
committees of one TO learn, either by
iisiting the College or by communication
NTH the College authorities, just what is
most needed, and then each one should
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