The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-11-17
AN AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.

Today the House takes up as a spec
ial order a bill which may be called
without eXaggeration one of the most
important measures of the session, and
which, if enacted into law, will mark
notable milestone passed along the
highway of progress.
This bill, known as II. 294, and in
troduced by Mr.. Bronson, of Hard
wick, is designed to transform the
Randolph Normal School into a State
school of agriculture. The purpose of
the school set forth in the bill is the
developing the agricultural resources
Of the State through practical instruc-
ton in agriculture, including tillage,
crop raising. stock raising, farm man
agement, marketing, and the allied
subjects of domestic science and the
manual arts"
A board of trustees is created con-
sisting of the Governor, the Commits
sioner of Agriculture, and three prac-
teal agriculturists." This board
have general control, and may employ
or remove teachers and all persor
connected with the institution. 1t
may appoint local director and may
prescribe courses of instruction and
methods of investigation. These trus-
tees are to receive their necessary ex-
penses and four dollars a day for time
actually spent in the performance of
their duties.
While the board of trustees may To-
cate this school "in any town of its
selection" it is provided that the
trustees of the Randolph Normal
School are empowered to sell or lease
personal estate of that institution for
the use of the State School of Agricul-
ture, and the Normal School will
cease to exist after July 1, 1911. The
sum of 100000 is appropriated for the
establishment of the school and for
the purchase eff real estate, tools, ma
chinery, animals, equipments and the
erection and repair of buildings. The
sum of $4,000 is appropriated for the
maintenanceof this school,
tits understood that options have
been obtained on propertyadjoini
the school, the land being particularly
well adapted to such experimental
purposes. The people of Randolph
should feel we'll pleased to make such
a good exchange. The Normal School
long has been a decadent institution
and its location was peculiarly unfor-
tunate. particularly in the matter of
furnishing the classes needed in
teacher training. At present the total
attendance is said to be only between
fifty and sixty, whereas the capacity
of the AGRICULTURAL school will be from
$50 to 200. and the attendance should
speedily reach that limit. Thus
Randolph may substitute a flourishing
and popular institution for one that
was doomed before many years to be
extinguished.
The newer and larger ideas of agri-
culture demand practical and scien-
tific instruction, and Vermont is al
most the only State to refrain from
giving such instruction. 1t is time we
recognized the vital importance of
teaching the farmers boys how to find
greater pleasure and greater profit in
agriculture than in going to the cities.
The passage of this bill is demanded
by the most enlightened and enter
prising thought Of Vermont today, and
it is generally believed that the meas
ure will meet with little opposition.
The Journal earnestly hopes that the
measure may be passed without sub
stantial opposition because it believes
that it will prove a splendid invest
ment for the State, and the beginning
of new era in our agricultural de-
velopment.