The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-13
PALMS AND rRop1oA1 PLANTS.

PALMS AND TROPICAL PLANTS.
 It is not astonishing that the Hart ford Courant has joined the ranks of those who have looked out upon the expansion of the old Storrs School, now. the pretentious Connecticut Agri- cultural College, with wonder and In looking over the esti- mates for the new 20,000 building in which the cultivation of palms and tropical plants is to be undertaken, our contemporary seems to be any, thing but impressed with this use of the States money from the point of view of wisdom. It takes rather more kindly to the recent purchase of a herd of cows whose milk in the mar let brought fifteen cents a quart
 The one hopeful note struck by the Courant in it's consideration of the de- velopment of palm and plant culture on the hills of Mansfield relates to the possible exploitation of the State working through It's college to provide all public and perhaps pri- vate evening entertainments with the product of the factory for purposes of establishment. History records the melancholy fact" ruminates our old friend at the head of sloop naviga- tion, that at times banGuets have been conducted where the palms and tropi- cal plants were due more to the in- genuity of man than to the llberality of nature" With this fact in mind our contemporary, if it was really convince ed that the States money is being wisely used, would move on mere en- Enthusiastically than it does to the thought of the college becoming a pu1veyor of real palms and tropical plants for public uses, the revenue to go into the State treasury. The trou- ble with our friend is that it cannot get out of its well-stored cranium the economic phase of the question Listen to 1t, for example, and note its sar- casm: Here we are about to establish s20,000 department to instruct the future farmers of Connecticut how to grow palms and tropical plants. The swarm of ambitious young men and women who will take up this branch of the fundamental industry of the world must have a market for what they learn at State expense to raise"
 Of course 1t is perfectly absurd that the State of Connecticut should spend It's money in any such way There is a demand for products of this charae- ter of course, and, so far as is known, it is supplied, but to even speculate upon the Connecticut college taking up their successful culture would be amusing if it were not ridiculous Ii has this value, however, the proposa to spend the money of the taxpayers | in the manner stated further illus trates the mistake of judgment that was made when the farm land and buildings generously given by MT Storrs for the purpose of aiding flu. ture farmers in that neighborhood were made the foundation upon which to build a college. 1t was not his wisl that that should be done. It was espe. cially his wish that what he intended as favor to the sons of the farmer!
 of Holland county should not becom, directly or indirectly a source of ex
 pense to the State of Connectlcut. Tn, ascent from plain farming to the cul
 tivating of rare palms and tropica Iplants is dizzily taken, but 1t leaves tn
 dwellers in the valleys below with smile on their faces. It points to tn, unwisdom of the General Assembly il
 refusing to follow Governor Wood
 ruff's lead in the matter of investigat ing the college just to find out wha
 part it plays In the life of the State
 Had it done so braveIy and Intelligent
 ly it might have saved the ridlcul
 which now threatens to overtake tn
 college sooner or later for just sucl
 reasons as the new agriculture ven
 ture suggests.