Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-12-22
MAY CLOSE RANDOLPH "Aee1E'
Trustees Consider Proposal in Annual
Report Just Made Public Vail
School Fully Sufficient.

The question of what course the state
should pursue in regard to agricultural
education may well become prime
topic for legislative debate as the re-
suit of the report of the trustees of
the state schools of agriculture, just
made public, The trustees, Commits
sioner Ebert S. Brigham, Joseph l..
Hills, T. N. Vail, A. NJ. Vaughan and
George n. Chaflee, in effect ask the
legislature to determine on definite
policy, and the determination of q pol
lev involves O consideration of whether
or not the state not only shall not build
additional agricultural schools, but
whether it shall abolish one of the
schools which it now has.
The state at present maintains two
schools of agriculture, one at Randolph
Center and the Theodore n. Vail agri-
cultural school at Lyndon Center, the
gift of Mr.. Vail. The inventory of the
property at Randolph shows a valuation
of $4,000 with the use of other build
ings not owned by the state, estimated
to be worth $4,000. The inventory of
the Vail place shows a valuation of
$279,957. The school at Randolph can
be given up with loss of only few
thousand dollars, while the abandon
ment of the institution at Lyndon
would mean that the entire property
would be lost to the state.
The trustees, in urging legislative
determination of an agricultural school
policy, say they believe "that the state
should provide facilities for every stu
dent who wishes to obtain instruction
of the type offered by these schools,
because the future of Vermont depends
! 90
agricultural development. An ag-
ricultural school with which is connect
ed well equipped and we'll managed
farm, with a system of crops and live
stock so planned that q reasonable in
come can be realized, possesses great
possibilities. But, the report says lat
err, "this laudable aim cannot be ade-
quately accomplished with a meagerly
equipped plant.
The trustees, in dealing with the two
schools, say that in order that the Ran
dolph school be put in condition to
give the proper kind of instruction to
its students an outlay of $4,000 will
be required with $4,000 a year for
maintenance, while in the ease of the
Vail school, $4,000 will be needed to
remodel buildings, etc, when the Vail
residence is turned over to the state,
not an immediate expenditure, with
100000 year for maintenance.
Among the items needed at once at
Randolph is dormitorv, the estimated
cost of which is $44 900, or more than
the whole plant is worth, as compared
with the value of the Vail school at
$279,957. More land is needed at Ran.
dolph, at present there being even no
pasturage for the cows.
The trustees ask for a consideration
of whether it is necessary to maintain
two agricultural schools in Vermont.
The report points out that the maxi
mum attendance in the two schools
in 1856 was 1873, while ait is the
opinion of experts in secondary agricul
tural education that 200 students may
BE- effectively taught in a secondary
school, Continuing the report says
eff we grant the validity of this opin
ion, Vermont does not now need two
schools" but also saying that there is
the possibility of larger future atten
dance.
AS to the future attendance the re
port points out that there are certain
developments which initiate against a
future need of two schools, pointing tC
the increase in the number of high
SCHOOLS IHdL HOW ledCH dPIlCulluIc. II
is set forth that cit should be remem
bered that agricultural courses are now
being offered in at least 20 high school:
and that the state is appropriating sew
eral thousand dollars annually for the
support of this work. -
The trustees declare that "they are
credibly informed that the establish
ment of such courses in Wisconsin higl
schools has led to the abandonment Of
one of the special state agriculture
schools because of lack of attendance
If this experience is duplicated in Yer
mont, if agricultural instruction can b.
had near at hand, we may not expec
greatly increased attendance at on
state agricultural schools. The theor'
of agriculture can be taught, not a
thoroughly to be sure, not as much o
it in the regular high school course
and many of the students can lear
practical farm operations on their HON
farms.
In conclusion, the report says: eth
trustees, therefore, respectively sugges
that the incoming general assembl
make careful inquiry into the agricu
tural school situation with a view O
establishing policy which will pre-
vide our youth with facilities for az
curing the best possible education c
this type at the least possible cost
themselves and to the state. -