St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-06-15
New Agricultural School.

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The establishment of a department of
agriculture at Lyndon Institute through
the generosity of T. N. Vail promises to
be very important development in Yer
mont's educational system. First is a
recognition of the necessity OF thorough
and practical education along agricultu-
raj lines in order to achieve success IN ag-
riculture. Vermont has never had such
an institution. The experiment station
and farm at Burlington are maintained
not for practical farming purposes but
for expert research and experimentation
in agricultural matters. It's training
does not tend to develop practical farm
ers but agricultural scientists. This OF
course is a valuable and necessary work
and not a discredit to the institution
but it should be understood that in
its main work the experiment station IS
not intended to develop practical farm
ers although it does aim to acquire know
ledge that will aid and benefit the prac-
teal farmer. The school at Lyndon on
the contrary is intended to educate the
young men along the lines of practical
farming as we'll as the scientific methods
that can be pro6tably applied to agricul-
tural work: So it is seen that the new
school comes to fill new field and salts
fly a new and progressive demand in Yer
mont educational methods.
1t will prove a benefit to the state as
whole because it will afford the state an
opportunity of watching practical eff
fort to teach practical agriculture with
out making expensive experiments on it's
part. The establishment of any new de-
partmenti in educationis always attended
by more or less expensive mistakes. This
is often due more to politics in the under
taking than anything else. But the Vail
school is established independent of poll
tics and the able board of management
he has selected to have charge of the
work will save this school from mistakes
that would be made by less able board
and at the same time give the state autho
rites the most valuable instruction re-
should be conducted.
Perhaps the most important feature of
the new schools the provision that there
shall be no free education for the young
men who enter it. While some charity
has been necessary in the establishment
of the institution it is proposed that
every young man who seeks its benefits
shall pay for what he gets. 1t does not
intend to close its doors to those who
lack money to secure an education but
has provided way in which such young
men can work their way through. In
requiring every young man to pay for
what he gets the school ensures itself of
an attendance of young men who actu-
ally desire the kind of education it has to
give. 1t also will develop in the young
man himself spirit of independence and
a true appreciation of what he receives.
1t will also tend to hold the students to
practical lines. With the expense of edu-
cation placed on them they will be slow
to adopt some of the expensive and luxu-
rious practices that have grown up in
other educational institutions.
We believe that the school has been
established on very sensible lines. that it
is planned so it will for all time be what
it is designed to bean institution that
will give deserving young men an oppor-
tunity to lay the foundation for progress
sive and successful agricultural work
For these reasons it deserves and we are
confident will win success and prove o
immense value to the people of Vermont
When completed it will make a splendid
monument to T. N Vail and his love fo
the state of his adoption.