Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-30
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN YER
MONT.

MONT.
The late Joseph A. DeBoer to whose
Initiative. public spirit and devotion to
Vermont the State permanent school fund
is an enduring and ever-speaking monu-
ment, wrote this fundamental truth in one
of the reports Of the trustees as secretary
of the board long before any educational
survey Of the State was ever dreamed Of:
1--WE submit to the wisdom of the Legis-
lature the great question of changing the
application Of the annual income from this
sacred school fund to those schools and in
such towns in the State. where it is most
needed and where it will best promote the
educational opportunity Of our youth and
meet our greatest educational needs.
while university. academical and high
school education is to be fostered and ad-
vanced 1t yet remains true that the great
majority Of our youth are limited in APP
portunity to the teachings Of the common
schools. The purpose Of our State govern
ment should continue to be to make the
schools of the people as good as they can
be made"
1t Is surprising how near these few SEN
fences come to constituting the gist of the
report Of the survey Of Vermont made
under the auspices of the Carnegie Foun-
dalton in 1914. One of the fundamental
supplementary findings Of the commission
was that Vermont should teach more agri-
culture within the reach of all Vermont
youth.
Is Vermont on the road TO that end?
We believe not.
The idea at the base Of our agricultural
extension service in connection with agri-
cultural colleges throughout the land is to
carry the facilities of agricultural educa-
ton as near the farm as possible. Boys
Of the farm often find 1t difficult to obtain
the money with which to secure an educa-
ton and the aim is also to put these facili-
ties within the reach Of farmers Of ma
ture years as well.
We have established advanced agricul-
tural schools at Randolph and Lyndonvile
|
idea Of materially enlarging those plants
1t would be Of far greater service to YER
mont agricultural interests II the money
Rto be expended could be used with other
agricultural education in connection with
local schools in every county in Vermont
within reach of our rural youth.
II boy is to leave the farm and 60 to
the expense of paying board and tuition to
secure advanced agricultural education,
1t is far better for him to go to an insti-
. tuition that has the largest possible facili-
ties with federal agricultural authorities
cooperating, than to spend the same time
and money at an institution that is not
intended to give and can not give him
nearly as much for his time, effort and
expense.
The other alternative is for the State to
provide in connection with schools already
established in every county departments
with slightly increased overhead expense.
which can give nearly all the extra tech
nical agricultural education that can be
received at Randolph or Lyndonville. II is
not necessary to go to Randolph for eX-
ample to get those rudiments or advanced
= instruction in general courses that can
be secured as well at any local high
school. On the other hand no Vermont
farm boy needs to go to Lyndonville to
: learn to how to milk or do host OF other
things done well on most Vermont farms
We believe Vermont should confine its
chief efforts in agricultural education be-
low the federal endowed State college OF
agriculture to the development OF local
\ schools within reach of our youth. that
would benefit hundred times the number
\ or boys now reached. When our boys go
the expense Of a course in a higher institu-
; ton they should be enabled to go to the
State college of agriculture with all Its