VOL. XXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, SEPT. 4,1(886.
NO. 36
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.
Abstract of an Address by Prof. G. E.
Morrow of the Illinois Indus.
trial University.
The belief in the desirability ot schools
for the especial education of those who design to be farmers led to the passage of
what is known as the agricultural oollege
bill of 1862, by which large grants of public
lands were made to the states for the establish ment and maintenance of colleges, the
objects of which, it was expressly declared,
should be "to teach the branches of learning relating to agriculture and the mechanic arts;" "to secure tbe liberal and
practical education of the industrial classes." It is worth careful notice that these
institutions were to be schools, not primarily farms or work-shops; that their
chief work was to be teaching, not primarily to investigate or experiment, important at this work is; that they were to
teach, not primarily the art of agriculture,
but ♦he branches of learning relating to it,
and that the mechanic arts were put by the
side and on a level with agriculture.
In consequence of this grant, aided by
liberal action in many states, we have, in
almost every state a college or university
in which it is attempted to give the education contemplated by the laws. In some
states the funds were given to existing
institutions; in others new colleges or universities were established; some called agricultural colleges with but one course of
study; others, attempting to more fully
carry out the provisions of the law,
have various courses. There has been
wide variation in what has been thought
best or practicable to do. In a number of
states there have been large expenditure
and in the extent and excellence of the
facilities for giving the instruction called
for by the law, some of these institutions
surpass the most extravagant expectations
of those who first urged their establishment. Spacious building, admirably fitted
with apparatus, libraries and museums;
farms well equipped; professors widely
and favorably known, to give instruction
in the sciences and in the practical applications of these to agriculture—all these are
to be found and made use of without restriction and at a small cost.
All this ia true, and it is equally true
that there Is
UENERAL   DISAPPOINTMENT
at the results. There is much of severe
criticism of these Institutions, with a very
few exceptions. In no one of them has the
success been what many expected. In no
one of these colleges is the number of students large, in comparison wi.h the number of young men expecting to be farmers.
In no one of them in whioh a choice of
courses of study is offered on equal terms
is there a large percentage of agricultural
students. Attempts to largely increase the
number of students in agriculture by offering short courses, nearly or quite exclusively devoted to technical agricultural studies,
have not been successful. Institutions in
the very first rank as regards the extent
and excellence of equipment, and which
give the largest amount of time to teaching the science directly relating to agriculture and their application to it, have*
few students in the agricultural oourse.
It ia evident there Is no general call for
agricultural education auch aa these colleges can give. This is a case in which the
supply precedes and exceeds the demand.
Whatever may be true of individuals or
some of the colleges, it is clearly not true
that it is a lack of facilities or of earnestness of purpose to give such education on
the part of the management and teachers
of these colleges, which is the chief cause
of the small number of agricultural students. The vehement demand so commonly made that agricultural colleges
shall not be parts of universities in which
students have choice of courses of study,
would not be made were there a widespread, earnest desire to secure a read agricultural education.
Criticism of these institutions for that
which they cannot prevent; lack of knowledge of the abundant, facilities in many of
them; lack of belief in the value of any
education in agriculture aside from that to
be gained on the farm; current talk in public and private, of the deplorable oppression and scanty rewards of the farmer, and
of the ease with which wealth, honor and
position can be gained by those in other
calling, have been an influence in directing choice of students.
As yet there is comparatively
UTTLE DEMAND FOK THOROUGH   COI.I.EOI-
ATE EDUCATION
OIBcial statistics for 1883-4 give about 1,600
as the number of youngmen in the regular
college classes in all the colleges of Illinois.
The census of 1880 gave the number of
young men in the state from 15 to 25 as
over 337,000. All the colleges in the state
are reported to have given but about 175
degrees to young men graduates in 1884.
It is not to be wondered at that not many
farmers have as yet felt it wise to send
their sons for a oourse of study extending
through years in order to fit them to be
farmers. It does seem strange there has
not been response to the offers of "short
courses" In agriculture.
There is no need to abandon effort
These colleges have done good work
There are several thousand men now on
farms who have been directly helped by
them. Oood work has been done in scientific investigation and experimentations.
In many of these, the students, in what
ever course, receive a good training in
sciences relating to agriculture.
There is increasing need for wide intelligence and education on the part of the
farmers. In the general past it has been
comparatively easy to make a livlihood by
farming. This is becoming less true.
There is a narrower profit. It is more difficult to become a land owner. The rate
of advanoe in price of land decreases.
There is more intense competition. Our
systems of farming are becoming more
complex. A wider intelligence; more
knowledge of business in general and of
his special business in particular will be
essential to the successful farmer. The
average standard of education is advancing. There Is much more general recognition of the value of special education in
schools for those designed to engage ln
many other callings. There will be
increased, appreciation of agricultural
schools.
THE FARMERS OF THB TJNITBD STATES
are the equals of their fellows in any land
ln Intelligence and in adaptation of effor
to circumstances. They are much better,
appreciating the value of many means for
agricultural education than they did formerly. The agricultural press and societies
are doing more than ever before, and are
held in high esteem. But, as a class farmers are conservative. There is need for
example and precept to induce adoption of
better methods. There is slowness to recognize changed conditions which make
changes in methods desirable. Rather
than captious and unreasonable criticism;
rather than ignoring or delaying their possibilities, it would be wise to give to the
agricultural colleges of the country cordial
support and aid in their efforts; to learn
what they can and are trying to do for agriculture ; to point out to young men that
the welfare of this nation will largely depend upon the prosperity of its farmers—
the most numerous class of citizens; that
the prosperity of the farmers will largely
depend on their intelligence andieducation;
that the standard which sufficed in the past
is now too low; that any useful knowledge
will help any man, and that knowledge relating especially to his calling, will be especially helpful; that these colleges—while
they can never make unnecessary practical
knowledge and experience gained on the
farm—can do very much to help one to be
abetter farmer, a better citizen, a wiser,
more influential, and more useful man.
t) K ifl l      for balance of year for
t-0 VeHTS the   In<f'<*na   Farmer.
Tell your neighbors.
djnenj & &tx$\xjzv.
Give yonr name and postoffice when asking questions. Many queries go unanswered (or failure to
observe this rnle.
Please tell me through the Farmer
where there is a market for sunflower
seed, and oblige. H. C. D.
Ladoga.
Sunflower seed are not quoted in the
market reports. So we are not able to refer you to a purchaser. If you will set a
reasonable price on them and advertise
them among poultry breeders you can
probably sell what you have to spare.
Please tell me how to manage my raspberry plants so as to form plants for next
year's planting. J. M. L
Raleigh.
Oover the tips of the black caps as they
bend over and touch the ground with a
spade full of dirt. The tip will send up a
shoot, which you can take up with its
roots and set out late in October or early
in the spring. Red raspberry plants grow
from buds on the roots, and should be
taken up with the spade, where they grow
too thickly.
Please tell me how many men in this
State are worth more than (1,000,000, and
where they live, and oblige
Annapolis. A Readek.
We are happy to say that we have no
millionaires in our acquaintance, and we
hardly think our State is afflicted with
more than three or four. Indianapolis has
one or two, but we do not know where to
direct you to find others. If you have
some important proposition to make to
this unfortunate, and fortunately small,
class of our fellow citizens you may be
able to smoke them out by advertising in
the papers. For this purpose you may use
our columns gratis.
"Maud" sends us a neatly written essay,
whioh we cannot u e. If she wishes it returned she should send us her address.
Please give us information on the following:
1. Will it pay to mow down the rag
weed on the fields that were sown to clover last spring?
2. What is the prospect for a oorn crop,
and the probable price for the same?
Samaria. J. C. J.
1. It's most too late now to cut rag
weed, unless you intend to rake them up
and burn, as the seed are fully ripened.
2. The prospect for corn in most parts
of this State are very good, but not as good
in other oorn growing regions. The price
will probably be fair to good.
Prof. Meyncke of the Brookville Society
of Natural History sends the following regarding plants that have been sent us for
identification:
The specimen of grass sent by J. N. H.,
of Carp, Owen Co., is Panicum dichotomum,
L , a species of panic grass. The specimen
shows the autumnal state of the species
with its forks and densely clustered lateral
branches. This character of the plant is
what makes it so conspicuous as the herbage of the fields and pastures where it
grows and at a time when the blue grass
declines. There are several species of panicum indigenous to this country, and are
consequently entirely adapted to this cli-
mate,and much better suited to withstand
the dry periods than blue grass, which is,
not strictly speaking an indigenous plant.
The surest method to eradicate panicum is
(1) to devote the land to other crops than
grass, and in so doing to break the soil
early in July for a few years in succession.
(2) In sowing down to grass again sow the
seeds of a variety ot grasses suitable for
grazing. (3) If let alone panicum will prevail for a few years and finally decline of
itself.
Plant from Dr. McDougal, Liberty, is
Plantago lanceolata, L , rib grass, ripple
grass,  English  plantain.   This is a true
plantain,  introduced  from   Europe into
cultivated grounds and waste places.
In the Farmer of August 21st, W. S. E.,
in his inquiry gives a very good description of mellilot or sweet clover, a plant
that can only be cultivated to advantage
on deep rich soil, or sandy soil, and will
be a failure every time on a clay soil,
either as a forage or honey plant. In
your reply you name it alsike clover.
Also, in reply to A. S. L. in the Farmer
of August 28, you advise him not to sow
alsike as it will be an expensive failure.
Now I think you have the names of these
two plants reversed. As alsike clover only
grows about two-thirds as large as the
oommon red clover and has a smaller
bloom of a very delicate pink shade. I
regard It as a very valuable addition to
onr grasses, both for pasture and meadow, and it is one of the best honey plants
with which I have had any experience,
and will stand freezing on heavy clay
land, mnch better than common red clover. As the seed of the alsike clover la
mnch finer than the common red clover I
would advise A. S. L. to sow it with any
other good pasture or meadow grass,using
half as much seed as of oommon red clover, and observing the same rule and seasons as for the red clover. I feel assured
he will be well satisfied with the results.
Jefferson Co. S. E. O'Neel.
We thought the plant and description
answered very well to alsike, which is a
bee plant as well as many other of the
clovers.
It was Hon. I. D. G. Nelson who advised
against sowing alsike, and he did so from
his own experience. It is not Improbable,
however, that It may give better satisfaction with you In Jefferson county, than
with him in Allen.