The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-03
Heea Sl fha Ahbsv@IIe school Gives te SeQtheRn. BAncstaeQ. A6socia- t1en Sypep@is ef Hfs Im-
 yeeflxaflcn ef Agr1-
 culfurai Eamcaffon.

Owen. head of the Third District Agricnituraf School at the "Wednesday nixht session of the Southern Educa- ton Association. was one of the vaiua. ble contributions to the thought of the Kathering. It made . deep impres- sion and the assembled educators heartily conplimented pr. owen on the great. value of his address,
 Dr. Owen is at the head of the first secondary agricultural school ever es- tablished in the United States. He has recently compisted for the United States Government . thorough in- yestigation and report on agricultural education and this win be published shortly and given wide circulation.
 pr. Owen said:
 The nineteenth century was charac- terized by scientific inquiry For a score of years prior, to the war be- tween the States. popular works on science and the application of scien- tinc laws. made the American people. perhaps overcredulous of the. possibili- ties in store for those with the neces- sary knowledse of the sciences. A vigorous reaction against the universal college curriculum brought a demand for something other than the classics
 The Investigations of Liebig in Ger many. of Boussipgault5 in France and Of Lawes and Gilbert in England, ex- hibited to the world what science might do for agriculture as well as for the other arts. In 1851 some farmers in Saxony under the patron age of the University of Leipzig, es- abolished the first experiment station.l The progressive sgricditurists of the Unated States promptly recognized the bepefits to flow from the scientific investigation of soils and crops. the ap- plfcatioh of scientific principles to agriculture.
 It should be understood just here. however. that the masses were not friendly to the movement and that it has triumphed by dirt of merit over the opposition of those who were to be the recipients of its greatest benefits. +r
 The first agricultural college in the United States. was established in the State of Michigan a little more than half century ago. It was provided for in the State constitution of 1850. and was opened for students in 1857. In 1859 Pennsylvania and Maryland established agricultural colleges. This was the beginning. of agricultural education in the United States A movement was then started. led by State agricultural societies and State boards of agriculture. asking Congress to provide national aid for the founda- tfon of other agricultural schools. Hon. fustin S. Morrill,. representative from Vermont led the fight for federal ap- inspirations. His bill provided that 10000 acres of public lands. for each representative in Congress, be grant, ed to the States. The bill. was re- ported adversely by the Committee on Public Lands. At the next session Of Congress the .bill passed both houses, but was vetoed by President Buchanan. In 1881 Mir. Merrill in- troduced a similar bill giving to each kfate 10000 acres of land for each representative for the establishment of colleges. .'to teach such branches as agriculture and the mechanic arts and 10 promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life" The bill was approved by President Lincoln July 2, 1882. Inc demands for collegiate instruction In agriculture and the mechanic arts called for still greater assistance from the federal government, and with the aid of friends. he secured the passage of the second Morrill, act. which be- came 8 law August 30. 1890 This i bill gave each State and Territory l s15.000 for the year ending June 90, 1 1890 and an increase over that amount
 
 priation should amount to e25,000 per l year. In 1907 a bill became law adding 3s.000 to the appropriation to | each agricultural college until the l total reaches $50.0O0 a year.
 Little Done At Firsf.
 For the first twenty years in the l history of these institutions very lit- | lie agricultural work was done. The | masses were not ready for the intro | of he nf artAF al education. However, during these | years results were produced. which | made possible the achievements of | more recent years. in causing the at- l tltude of the thinking public toward | agricultural education to assume a de- cidsdly friendly aspect Counting the | colleges for the negro race. there are | in the United States being operated | under the Morrill, Acts of 1862 and | 1890 and the act of 1907.
 The Legislature of Maryland. in en- l dowing It's agricultural college in | 1858, provided for experimental | studies in the cultivation of cereal and | other plants adapted to the climate and latitude of the State of Maryland" In. 1870 the University of California | was doing q similar work. In 1875 | Connecticut established a state agri- cultural experiment station. the first 1 separate institution of its kind in this | country. North Carolina and New | Jersey soon followed and the facul- ties in several agricultural colleges | established experiment stations.
 Bills providing for Federal aid for | experiment stations were voted down | repeatedly. but finally in 1887, the | Hatch Bill became a law. which gave | S15,000 & year to each state and terri tory for the establishment and main- station. The Adams Act became a law March Is. 1906 and added i'm mediately S5,O00 a year to the income of the state experiment stations. This sum will be increased a2.0oe a year for five years. In five years each state and territory will receive annually from the Federal govern ment 9S0.000 for its agricultural col 1eges and experiment station. The national appropriations are greatly increased by state appropriations and by private aid.
 This brief survey. indicates the wonderful growth of interest in sgri- cultural education and the establish ment of the great American system not surpassed by any country of the world.
 In all the subjects of the college curriculum. certain preparatory train ing is made requisite for entrance to pursue the courses of study. In the establishment of the agricultural colleges, no provision was made. for elementary and secondary instruc- ton.