The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-08
WANT BLACkSBURG
TO TEACH FARMING
TwoYear Course in Agriculture
Urged at Meeting OF
Board.
DEMAND FOR PRACTICAL MEN
Ontario Has 5000 Students
Learning, Against Handful
in Virginia

| Sharp criticism Of the work in prac-
| teal agriculture. or rather of the lack
| thereof. done In tho Virginia PolytSch-
nic Institute, formed perhaps the most
| Interesting discussion at the annual
meeting of the United Agricultural
Board, held at the Capitol on Saturday.
The demand for Il comprehensive two
year agricultural course In ordor tina t
the young men of Virginia shall be cdu-
Gated toward rather than away from
| the farm, was clear.
I. o. Sandy, the agricultural demon
strator. fired the poening gun. He said
that there is too much academic work
and to little practical farming taught
at Dlacksburg. In reply TO question,
President Barringer, of the Polytechnic
Institute, said there would bc ut the ut
most ten graduates In agriculture Mt
his school at the end OF the present
scholastic year. The province of On
tario. Canada, with about the Same
population as Virginia. hos 5000 asri-
cultural students i'll her college cstab-
lishcd for that purpose.
Plenty of Room Here.
With the professions ovcrcrowdcd.
a1r. Sandy continued. there are millions
Of idle acres in Virginia wal ting for
people to make fortunes from them.
and millions more which could be
changed from sterile TO fertile lands
a graduate of the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute in engineering of last year
is bare keeping body and soul to-
gether clerkins In store in this state.
while MIR. Sandy is securing the coun-
ties from the mountains TO tho Sea i'll
the effort to find men who know enough
about modern, profit making aEricui-
ture to teach tho people.
Agricultural students al BlackseurS
during the first two years OF their
-. ath ly,~-
about farming. and are being taught in
academic lines, their associations being
with those who. taking their cue from
the old order of agricultural Subordl-
nation, look down upon farming as a
profession. Before the student really
begins to learn agriculture in the thiro
year OF hts agricultural course. his IN
cline ton Is often away from the farm.
Need T,vo-Ycnr Course.
Such was AIr. Sandy's argument He
followed 1t up by saying that the Poly
technic Institute owes il TO itself and
to the State TO establish two-ycar
course In agriculture, with some sort ot
high school entrance requirements
which will not be SO difficult 20 meet.
and then teach the boys farming.
Governor Mann liked this line of
talk, and he did not hesitate to say
SO. President Barrnger. OF the insu-
any promises. which would. of course.
be a matter for the board. He agreed
with MIR. Sandy that the military feas-
ure of the institution might be modi-
fed to some extent and that the agri-
cultural course might be shortened.
Hearty approval of the proposition
was given by Westmoreland Davis. CT
Leesburg. He spoke OF the demand
for people who know how to farm. and
of the money the state is wasting"
at institutions which train men for
professions ovcrcrowded. when the
field of the farm. with unlimited pos
sibilities for expansion and untold
wealth. lies white to the harvest. He
ridiculed the name polytechnic" as
applied to the Blacksburg school, and
thought II should be an agricultural
college. where tho young men of tho
State might learn within Il reasonable
time some of the modern ideas of the
profitable raising OF crops.
P. E. St. Clair. of the Virginia Poly
tochnic Institute board, felt Inclined
10 agree with Mr.. sandy and asked
for suggestions as 10 the course and
tho Encouragement. This the demon
strator declined 10 give, saying it was
c matter for the board.
II is believed to be not unlikely that
the Governor Will he heard from on
this subject