The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-11-04
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

ton anew to the great usefulness of
this State, when it says;
Few statesmen have left more nu-
merous monuments to their service
than the late Senator Morrill, of Ver-
mont. Upon the foundations that he
laid the States have builded broadly,
some more so than others. The agri-
comprehensive in their work and in
fluence upon the fundamental industry
of the country than they are in the
East, but mainly because their fields
are more expansive and their re-
sources much greater They made
their beginnings with less rivalry from
established educational institutions
and their value was more Immediate
ly demonstrated"
The Transcript gives the following
definite illustrations of the work of
agricultural colleges in the West
which may be read with profit in YER
mont:
mo State affords larger natural OPP
portunities for the exploitation of the
service that these colleges render,
than Kansas, and the Legislature re-
Gently made larger increase in the
appropriation for the State college. To
justify this appropriation the govern
or publishes letter from the presi-
dent of that institution, which even
with reasonable discounting for the
predisposition in its favor offers a
somewhat remarkable showing, and
demonstrates that the college has an
economic value deserving all the rec
ognition that has been given it, A
whimsical definition of a cauliflower Is
but the Kansas president tells of col
lege bred wheat This is a selection
or development from the varieties of
the grain best adapted to soil and
other conditions and more than ten
thousand bushels of the most produc-
tive strain have been distributed
among the farmers as seed. In many
instances the growers report an in
crease to the extent of fifty per cent.
and reports from all the wheat-grow-
ing countries of the State show an
average increase of at least five BUSH
els to the acre. AS there are about
seven million acres devoted to wheat
growing, the universal use of the col
lege-bred' seed would produce from
thirty to thirty-five million bushels
more than the usual yield has been,
and worth more than twice as much
as the State has appropriated for the
college in the forty-seven years of it's
existence.
1T has rendered a similar service
for corn and has developed a simple
and trustworthy method of protecting
wheat from the Hessian fly. Another
development in which it has taken
the lead is that of alfalfa, crop that
has increased almost fourfold in four
years and is now cultivated on a mil
lion acres, making the State the great
est producer of this wonderful nitro
genous crop in the world. The claim
is made that with single exception,
more students have studied scientific
agriculture at this college than at any
other in America. 1t also claims O.
very favorable showing of cost per
student as compared with seventeen
other States, that of Kansas being the
lowest, or $102 a year as compared
with 1926 at Cornell and 1906 at the
University of California, though prob
ably In these comparisons the neces-
sary allowance has not been made
for the greater diversity of courses
in the latter institutions"
While our own Agricultural College
Is doing good work it is in a position
to do much better work if more young
men would take advantage of its
opportunities With the growing
spirit in favor of scientific agriculture
which means more profitable farm
ing, there should be largely increas-
ed attendance In the Vermont insti-
tuition 1t is to be hoped that the
Oranges of the State, the centers of
intelligence and progress in the farm
ing districts, will urge upon the young
men the Importance of fitting them
selves for the profession OF agricul-
ture.
The suggestion made for shorter
courses, that may be taken up during
the winter months, like the work OF
the Dairy School is a good one. Many
progressive farmers who could not
take full college course would be
glad to spend few weeks or months
in study and experimental work and
they would carry back to their farms
new ideas and new methods that should
prove invaluable. In addition to short
courses there should be, however
many students for the full agricultur,
al course, ambitious young men who
see in modern farming profession
worthy of the best brains and af.
fording a good opportunity for max
ing money.