Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-30
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE,.
(From the Montpelier Journai.)

THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
(From the Montpelier JournaI)
During the past few months there have
been occasional comments in the State
papers regarding the work Of the State
agricultural COLLEGE. the nature Of the
criticism. being that few Of the students
graduated from the institution at
burlington actually cultivated Vermont
farms. In order to have the real facts
information wa. requested of the college
authorities and these facts which have
been furnished to the journal are to the
effect that the last bulletin OF the sKr
cultural department Of the University
Of Vermont shows the lines Of work OF
the 81 living graduates mot including
the class Of 1902 to be as follows: Farm
ers and farm .uperintendents. g. scien-
tine work in department, stations and
colleges. -; teachers. mostly OF asricul-
ture and kindred SUBJECTS 10; horticul-
turists and students Of horticulture, 4;
veterinary surgeons. 4; business. .: ply
sicians S; miscellaneous. g. OF the last
class Of eight graduates. three are teach
ers Of agriculture and biology, and four
are employed by agricultural colleges or
the department Of agriculture at WASH
ington In agricultural investigational
work.
It will be seen that the proportion
Of farmers and farm superintendent IL
about one-fourth Of the mon graduated
II the number OF graduates acting as
superintendent were eliminated the
number Of active farmers would be n
small proportion. The question arises
at once, is the college doing tina work
1t was intended to do. Although NOM
inally A State college Vermont does not
appropriate a large sum for its support,
the national government contributing
heavily for It's maintenance. The State.
however ha. erected a costly building
for the department.
It IL the tendency Of all agricultural
colleges our own included At the pres
. emit time, to train leaders. teachers and
investigators TO greater degree thar
farmers who shall return 10 tho soil
At the present time when a knowledge
Of scientific agriculture II so meagrc
, leaders are an imperative necessity. A.
an illustration Of what graduates OF ou'
own State agriculture collage are doing
. It may be said that Vermont farmer
, boy in the employ Of the department o
agriculture at Washington, Investigated
very serious plant disease. which I'm
periled the success OF certain crop
Z As result Of his researches rened,
I was found which has saved to tho farm
ers of the country hundreds Of thousand
and perhaps millions Of dollars. Anothe
more recent graduate Is the head Of
large AGRICULTURAL school In New Eng
land He has inspired many boys to tai
an agricultural college education, ant
= has sent back to the farm many other
: to practice better and more moder
methods Of farming.
:, 1t may be that for a time this Is IN
= best work the agriculture colleges ca
J. DO, but II seems to this paper that tn
a deld of agricultural education should b
: broadened There should be mad
available shorter and less expen
sive agricultural courses. II we ar
ever able to establish a central norma
school and transform two Of our thre
schools for teachers into agriculture
schools. we viii have taken long ste
toward a practical solution OF the prob
, lem. Such Institutions with model farm
b attached, providing courses, some short
II err, some longer. ought to be able to tur
out practical farmers.
t. Just as we need manual training
- the schools Of villages and cities, so "
a need at least some elementary agricu
- tural instruction In the central school
II Of the rural communities, More seller
- tihc agriculture IL ono Of the urgen. a,
!" mands OF the times. We need trains
10 leaders, but We also need schools II
N practical farmers No industry lacl
. trained experts to such = degree as II
- business Of farming. We have outgrow
y the period when 1t was considered a cal
III ,tal Joke to sneer at the hook farmer
- We have illustrations In abundance
~ prove that broad and scientific know
O. edge can be used nowhere to better A.
- vantage than In agricultural pursuit
IT would seem that with the faciliti'
possessed by the Agricultural college. ar
with the proximity Of the experime,
station that it ought to he possible.
means Of shorter courses. OF varyir
y lengths to educate men who will cul,
- vate the soil men whose success Wi
modern methods viii serve az object le
sons to the communities In which tn
live.
We need both the trained leaders Al
the educated farmers. 1t ought to
possible to supply both demands.
THE TAFT METHODS.
(From tho Montpelier Journal)
The controversy between Secretary