The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-06
T. N. Vail Writes Governor
Clement on Agricultural
School
February 21 1919

February 81, 1919
Dear Gov. Clement:
In reference to our conversation of
few days ago:
1t seems to me that the great op-
portunity for Vermont's future lies
in her rural industries vege-
tables and dairying There is no state
in all respects superior and few equal
to her in possibilities of this kind,
either from the standpoint of produc-
ton or marketing
You may we'll see all over the state
the evidence of it's one time position
in rural prosperity before Eastern ag-
riculture had to bow it's head to the
over-production of the new and virgin
West and cheap transportation
The past as well as the possible
future is evidenced by the still exis-
tent fine old farm houses and out
buildings with the well cultivated
park-like fields, both valley and side
hill You can also note signs of
return of that old-time rural pros
perity The readjustment that has
taken place, the building up of great
industrial centers throughout central
New England, the concentration of
population have created a consump-
ton which is peculiarly absorptive
of home grown products, and in no
place in the world can home grown.
products be produced equal to those
of Vermont, and no part of the coun-
try has such access to those mark
cts as has Vermont Vermont's rural
industry has great future
Rural industry has, like all indus
try, changed to intensive production
under advanced scientific methods
aided bymechanical appliances. These
are necessary, that each unit of hui
,, man effort put forth shall be infinitely
more productive
The old-time methods are no
longer applicable. Rotation and soil
ing with produced fertilizers
will not meet modern requirements
any more than old time methods will
satisfactorily produce paper or cloth
or gas or any other commodity.
| In the olden times the professional
| man acquired the knowledge to fol-
low his profession in the working
Office of some one in that profession.
| The boy learned his trade through
years of apprenticeship; tools were
simple and to master them took time
and work. The farm bred boy could
learn at home all that was needed.
Now the machine does better and
| quicker under the guidance acquired
by only a month or so training than
! the journeyman would do after years
of training, if at all. To get the
/ best results from the soil, the nature
of the soil and the crops to be raised
have to be intelligently considered.
To raise vegetables or fruits in these
days there is multitude of pests,
parasites, blights and diseases to con-
tend with which were unknown in
the olden times. All of these are in
sidious and have to be combated by
intelligent observation and precaution
or cared for by its particular anti
! dote. While for cid time conditions
there were no better methods than
OIQ LlIIIG IIIGtIIOUS, new tIIflO COIlOItIOIlS
must be met by new methods.
These new methods cannot be
learned at home. In the first place
to intelligently use them more than
mere manual or mechanical doing
must be known; to intelligently apply
them the why's and wherefores must
be known. In any pursuit in which
there are many possibilities of vast
ing time in movement from one piece
of work to another OF from one part
of farm to another, method and sys-
tenn and Intelligent planning are of
the greatest impol lance. The hard
Ell workec often t. II es accomplishes
the least. Lack of system costs la
Dor: carelessness and waste destroy
til. efforts Of labol. 1t is not the
ame ullt bf work dcne but the way it
is done that produces results. 1t
takes less effort to do anything prop
erly, but to do it properly requires
study and experience as to the best
methods.
All o. any kinl OF education, is to
find out that which has been demon
SEATED as true by others and to learn
how to use it. To get all of our
knowledge as to how to do things
through our own experiences is most
wasfcful of time, in fact impossible.
In considering this matter of agri-
cultural schools there must be a full
appreciation of the differences be-
tween school and college. The ag-I
ricultural college is necessary to train
teachers, investigators and those who
need or who by situation, financial
ability or inclination want to take the