The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-07
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES.

| AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES.
One of the most beneficont laws
ever enacted by the Government Of the
United States has just passed its fif-
tieth anniversary. We refer to the
law known as the Morrill, land grant
bill, which was signed on July 9, 1862,
by President Lincoln. This bill gave
every State in the Union its quota of
| 100000 acres Of public lands, each
State receiving land in proportion TO
its representation In Congress,
! Under this act the various Agricul-
tural Colleges Of the different States
have been founded Before that, there
were State Universities, and good
many Of the States have made their
agricultural colleges part Of their uni
versities. Others, as Utah, have made
tho Agricultural College entirely sepa-
ratio from the State University, with
an Independent government and dis
tinctive curriculum Of Its own. AS a
rule, the agricultural colleges have been
kept strictly to their work as agri.
cultural colleges, but in some Of them,
as in Utah few years ago, there has
been duplication Of effort and of
studies, and conflicts with the State
University proper Usually these con-
flicts are Strengthened out without
much difficulty, but in Utah there was
| distinct animus in the case this
animus being directed against the then
| ~ Il
College, Mr.. William j. Kerr, who has
since made such fine and gratifying
success OF agricultural college work in
the Oregon State Agricultural College
at Corvallis. Since he was ousted there
| has been no complaint of duplication
of studies, although, as we understand
there is some duplication yet. Per
| haps. in way, this duplication is nm
avoidable; but 1t ought to be kept
down to the minimum.
We have this to say. however, in
general for the Agricultural College
Of Utah, that it is doing first-class
work, and is earnestly endeavoring to
help the agricultural interests Of the
State; and we can say further that the
efforts of the Agricultural College OF
the State in that respect have been
largely and praiseworthily successful
| There has been, and is now, q genuine
effort to help the practical farmer in
all lines of his work, and also to help
the farmers wife in her household
work by the exposition Of the best
methods of applying the advancement
Of domestic science. These efforts
Of the College take the direction OF
schools on wheels, if we might use the
expression. where experts from the
college go from place to place on trains
put at their disposal by the railroads
visiting the different parts of the
State, lecturing, giving practical ex
positions and practical lessons in va
rious forms of agricultural work. ex
planning about seeds, about culture
about fertilizing, about irrigation
about pruning orchards. and adapting
different varieties Of agricultural eff
forts to the soils of the farms that are
visited. Soil analysis is made part Of
this work; and altogether the effor
has been (and this effort has been sue
cessfully applied) to adapt the bes
lessons and results Of scientific agri
culture to the immediate locality, ant
TO the particular farms that are visited
and upon which the lectures and les
sons are based It Is all excellen
work, and is done with the best o.
feeling
Tt is true also that the farmers have
in a large measure, got away from tn
former idea that was so troublesome t.
instructors, not only in Utah, but gen
orally throughout the country. tina
"book farming did not amount t
anything and that the college pre-
fessor could not tell an actual farme
anything that would benefit his worI
or tighten his labors. That idea i
now 30 thoroughly exploded that YER
few of the farmers hold to it. Mos
; Of them welcome the instruction tina
is so freely rendered and so well ar
piled; so that Utah has got her fuI
:, share OF the benefits of that generou
act signed fifty years ago by tn
great War President; and the agricu
tural communities Of this State may a
rejoice correspondingly in that the
have a special reason of their own fo
s kindly remembrance of Abraham Liz
j coin.