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Athens, 6a., Oct 24, 1871.
Editor* Banner of the South and
Planters Journal.
Sirs :—As your object must be to
admit fair discussion for the purpose of
eliminating truth, can you object to re
publishing the article in the July num
ber, Farm and Home , on the Agricul
tural College, to which the article from
Dr. Pendleton in your last number is a
reply! It would seem fit that it
should also appear in your paper, un
less you design to advocate one side of
the question. It contains a few unim
portant errors, not essential though to
the argument .
But not having a copy of the Farm
and Home to send you, we forward
you a report made in behalf of the
society of the Alumni of the Universi
ty of Georgia, on the same subject,
and will be indebted to yon if you will
republish at least, the extracts marked.
What Dr. Pendleton finds so praise
worthy in Cornell and Kentucky, is
exactly what we wish to see inaugura
ted in Georgia, an institution adapted
to the wants and necessities of the
whole people of the State; one from
which no young man should ever be
excluded by reason of poverty. To
aid in doing this the funds of the pro
posed institution must be economized
in every possible manner, and es
pecially must there be avoided the
mistake of duplicating professorships,
when it can be av oided.
What wo advocate is an inter
marriage of the proposed College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, with
the present acadeniio department of
the University, as lias been done in
Kentucky and Cornell, and if Dr. I*en
dleton, and those who adopt his views,
will examine the Catalogues of those
institutions, they will find that the
JiSfejyteL
the President,’ are not “excfusively<7e-j
voted to agriculturebut that this
number is made up by co-ordinating
the Scientific Professors, with the
Special Professors of Agriculture, into
the Faculty of the College of Agri
culture. They will also discover that
while there are only forty students in
the classical course at Cornell, out of a
community of nearly six hundred, this
then is even a much smaller number in
the department of Agriculture.
In a letter received from Prof.
Russsel, Vice-President Cornell Uni
versity, dated Aug. 81, 1871, after pre
senting the general argument in favor
of association, he says: “The Agricul
tural Students do not exhibit the same
interest in general knowledge as the
others, they are satisfied with less, they
leave sooner. Last year ending Ist
July we had twenty-five Agricxdtural
Students in a comm unity of 500—000,
now we have only three. The class
about eutering will replenish our ranks,
but the former students satisfied
with one year's study, will not re
turn” and we also find from the report
of the Trustees of the Industrial Uni
versity, Illinois, that out of 200
students only 50 were studying Agri
culture, while 54 were studying Engin
eering, 63 German, and 138 Mathe
matics (2 Report of Committee p. 0)
The fact is, the proposed College is
for something else besides Agriculture.
It is for Agriculture and the Mechanic
Arts. And while at Cornell only
twenty-five are students of Agriculture,
the remainder of the six hundred, save
the classical students, are possessing
scientific studies, or studies allied there
to, our Agricultural friends ought not to
undertake to control the entire pro
ceeds of the land grant. They should
remember that only a portiou was de
signed for Agriculture; and that the
advocates of education in Mechanic
Arts and applied science, have some
claim to give direction to a part of the
giant.
But no doubt, we all desire to ac
complish the same end, that is, to see
an institution established in which
every dollar of the fund shall be appro
priated to develope education in the de
partments of Agriculture and the
Meehanic]Arts. We differ now, it seems
only in regard to the means, and we
are convinced that careful study of this
BANNER OF THE SOUTH AND PLANTERS’ JOURNAL.
subject will give ns the co-operation of
so distinguished an Agriculturist as Dr.
Pendleton ; then he will see that our
views are not for the benefit of any
locality, but for the good of the whole
people.
We agree that economy is greatly in
favor of the intermarriage of the pro
possed College with the University;
that the proposed College is to be
under the charge of the State, and
thus thereimon it should be united with
the State University, and not with a
private institution ; and that by this
union, then, wouldjbe saved to the State
the salaries of seven professors and the
large expenses of libraries, labora
tories, museum, See., Sc c.
But as some persons seem to enter
tain fears that this union with the
State University would result in a mis
appropriation of the funds in order to
develope classical education, could not
the cause of such apprehensions be en
tirely removed, by the Legislature at
taching such conditions to the trust, as
to forever prohibit the appropriation
of one dollar of the fund to purposes
other than those for which it was
originally designed! It would seein
that this could be done veiy readily,
and the annual report of the Trustees
would show to every citizen the exact
manner in which the funds had been
used ; so, if the conditions should be
violated it could be readily discovered.
We hear also much talk concerning
practical education. What is it!
W hat studies are requisite to constitute
a course in practical education ? What
shall be taught the first year! What
the second and the third year ! Will
some of its advocates inform us, or
will some of the advocates of practical
education make out a schedule of the
requisite studies, omitting therefrom
the subjects of English, Mathematics,
Mechanics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany,
Geology, <&c.! And we should re
member that then subjects can be
taught in the proposed College if asso
ciated with the University, without the
employment of Special Professors.
We have examined carefully the Cata
logues of nearly every Agricultural
in tiic IL-S.. and we find in
each, the studies above named and in
cluded, and the practical studies are
the applications of these sciences. But
we do not design to write an article on
the subject, our chief object, is to re
quest the publication of its extracts of
the report herewith furnished.
Respectfuliy,
W. L. BROUN.
ACTION OF THE STATES.
As different opinions are held in re
gard to the most judicious manner in
which this fuiid should be appropriated
by the State of Georgia, we have en
deavored to learn by examining official
reports, and by correspondence, the
conclusion reached in the other States.
The following disposition we find, was
made of the fund (arising from the U.
S. land grant) by the States named :
California appropriated her grant to
University of California.
Connecticut appropriated her grant
to Yale College.
Delaware appropriated her giant to
Delaware College.
Indiana appropriated her grant to
State University (!)
Kentucky appropriated her grant to
Kentucky University.
Minnesota appropriated her giant to
University of Minnesota.
Missouri appropriated her grant to
University of Missouri.
Mississippi appropriated her grant
two-fifth to University of Mississippi.
Massachusetts appropriated her
grant one-third to Institute of Tech
nology.
New Jersey appropriated her grant
to Rutger’s College.
New York appropriated her grant to
Cornell University.
New Hampshire appropriated her
grant to Dartmouth College.
North Carolina appropriated her
grant to University of N. C.
Rhode Island appropriated her grant
to Brown University.
Tennessee appropriated her grant to
East Tenn. University.
Vermont appropriated her grant to
University of Vermont.
West Virginia appropriated her
grant to West Virginia University.
Wisconsin appropriated her grant to
University of Wisconsin.
The following States had Agricultu-
ral Colleges already established, prior
to tHb passage of the Act by Congress,
hence the land grant was donated to
them, viz: Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Michigan and lowa. The following
States alone, wo far as known, have used
this fund in order to establish inde
pendent Agricultural Colleges:
Illinois, at Urbana, Champagne Cos.
Maine, at Orono.
Massachusetts (two-third fund) at
Amherst
Ohio, at Columbus, (to open 1872.)
The Agricultural College of Kansas, at
Manhattan, is really the State Univer
sity, with a classical, an agricultural,
and a scientific course.
EXPENSES OF AN INI*EFENDENT COLLEGE
As very mistaken views are enter
tained in regard to the current ex
penses of an independent Agricultural
College, and the original outlay re
quired to establish the same, w e have
taken pains to inquire in reference
thereto with regard to the most promi
nent Agricultural Colleges in this
country. W. S. Clark, Pres’t Massa
chusetts Agricultural College, in his
report to the Trustees, says: “The
salaries of the faculty for the year
1871, amount to $16,750, and are pro
vided for by the income of the fund
and the receipts for tuition. The sala
ries and wages of other employees, as
assistant treasurer, farm superintendent,
gardener, teamsters and students, will
reach an aggregate of $8,400, and are
in part met by the receipts from the
sale of farm produce, leaving a balance
of $5,000 to be provided by legislative
appropriation... .The other necessary
expenditures are for expenses of
trustees, intercut, fuel, general repairs,
printing, advertising, freight and ex
press charges, office expenses, &c., and
amount to an estimated sum of $6,000."
The annual expenses of this College
amount, it will be seen, to $27,750, —
The President writes, “The Legislature
has just given us $150,000. Our fund
now is $250,000 cash and our land and
buildings have cost about the same
amount.”
The Secretary of the State Agricul
tural College of Michigan, R. Haigh,
Jr., writes, that to
the Agricultural College from (857 to
1870 inclusive, amounted to $343,739;
that the expenditures, before the open
ing of the College, for farm, buildings,
implements, stock. disc., amounted to
$69,792. lie further adds, “The Leg
islature of 1870-’7l appropriated
$50,000, of which $34,000 was for
current expenses for ’ 7l-72 ; SIO,OOO
for the erection of anew laboratory
and $6,000 to pay arrearges on the con
struction of the new hall. The U. S.
Congressional grant amounts to a little
less than 240,000 acres, lrom which we
have received as yet only about S4OOO.
It is controlled by the State, and we
have the interest. The minimum price
is fixed at $3,00 per acre. The
present expenditure of the College is
about $21,000 a year, but we need
more.”
From the report of the treasurer of
the Illinois Industrial University, we
find there was expended from March
14, 1869, to March 7th, 1870, $49-
199,24. Os this amount, $14,750.53
was expended for the Library, Chemi
cal Department, &c., making the
annual expenses over $34,000. Os
this amount, $18,327 was for salaries.
ECONOMY OF ASSOCIATION.
In presenting these facts to your con
sideration, the Committee of the Alum
ni would respectfully call your attention
to the argument of economy in favor
of associating the Agricultural College
with the State University, as has been
done by so large a majority of the
States. The current expenses of the
principal Agricultural Colleges in the
U. S. have been seen to vary from
$21,000 to $34,000 per year, while the
number of students in neither has been
large. The Massachusetts Agricultural
College numbered (1871,) 147 students,
and charged for tuition, *fce., a fee of
$72. The Michigan Agricultural Col
lege numbered last session 93 students,
ot whom 10 were young ladies. Tui
tion is free to all * students from the
State. Tie Maine Agricultural Col
lege had last session 32 students.
The economy of the association of
the Agricultural College with the State
University is apparent when we con
sider that thereby the State is saved
the expense of duplicating professor
ships, libraries, laboratories, apparatus,
cabinets, museums, <fec. The library,
apparatus, buildings, <fca, of the Uni
versify of Georgia are designed for the
use of the State, and we submit that it
is wiser that they should be made
available to produce the largest amount
ot good by adding thereto when possi
ble, than by undertaking to purchase
new apparatus and new libraries for
new institutions. For the purpose of
showing more clearly what professor
ships would have to be duplicated at
the expense of the State, in order to
establish an independent Agricultural
College, we subjoin the following table
which exhibits the professorships and
lectureships in four of the pnncipal
Agricultural Colleges in the United
States, and also those at present in the
University of Georgia:
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.
1 Mental and Moral Philosophy. 2
Rhetoric and English Literature. 3
Modern Languages. 4 Mathematics.
5 Chemistry and Geology. 6 Mechan
ics and Physics. 7 Engineering. 8
Ancient Languages, (b) Botany, (b)
Agriculture, (b) Rural Law.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF ILLINOIS.
Mental and Moral Philosophy. En
glish Languages. German and French.
Mathematics. Chemistry. Mechanics
and Physics. Engineering. Ancient
Languages. Military Tactics. Agri
culture. * Physiology. * Zoology.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF MASSACHU
SETTS.
Mental and Moral Philosophy.
Rhetoric. Modern Languages. Math
ematics. Chemistry. * Physics. En
gineering. Military Science. Agri
culture. Botany and Horticulture.
•Diseases of Animals. ‘Dairy Fanning.
•Hygiene. ‘Civil Polity. •Market Gar
dening. • Compound Anatomy. * Po
mology. • Insects. • Stock Farming.
• Arboriculture. * Honey Bee. *Ru
ral Law. * Architecture.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OF MICHIGAN.
Mental Philosophy. English Litera
ture. French, (a) Mathematics. Chem
istry. (a) Physics. Agriculture. Bot
any and Horticulture. Zoology and
Entomology.
AGRICULTURAL OOU-LOB OV IOWA.
Mental and Moral Philosophy. Math
ematics. Chemistry. Mechanics and
Physics. Engineering. Military Tac
tics. Agriculture. Botany and Hor
ticulture. Pomology.
It will be seen that the University of
Georgia has seven Professors filling de
partments that are regarded as abso
lutely essential by every well organized
Agricultural College. Hence by asso
ciating the Agricultural College with
the State University, tlie salaries of
seven Professors would be saved to the
State; an amount equal at least to
$14,000 per year. In several Univer
sities this amount would be represented
by $21,000. This amount could be
judiciously expended in increasing the
libraries and apparatus, and in diminish
ing the cost of tuition; or this sum
would suffice, after the example of
Mississippi, to give a hundred dollar
scholarship to one meritorious youth in
each county of the State; or a part
could be used most advantageously in
employing a Commissioner of Agri
culture under the auspices of the State
Society in lecturing on scientific agri
culture to the farmers of ev*ry portion
ot the State. But when we consider
the absolute necessity of libraries, labo
ratories.and apparatus, and their large
cost, we are forced to conclude that the
economy of association is very inade
quately represented by the amount
above named.
OBJECT OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICUL
TURE ANI) MECHANIC ARTS.
The object of the Agricultural Col
lege should be to teach scientific prin
ciples and the methods of scientific in
vestigation, to teach what cannot be
learned by practice in an art, and not
to attempt to teach manual skill by
practice in the rudiments of agricultu
ral and mechanical labor.
Such misapprehensions prevail, even
among intelligent persons, in regard to
the functions of an Agricultural Col
lege—who seem to suppose that the
duty of the college is to develop brawn
and not brain—that we are induced to
add the following extract from the ad
fa) Subjects included in the schedule
of study, (b) Lectures are now deliv
ered on these subjects. (*) Lecture
ships.
dress ot President White, of Cornell
University, the leading Industrial Col
lege of this country:
“And here I combat an error—an
error which some excellent men have
fallen into—an error which has terribly
injured industrial education already,
and which if persisted in will ruin it
This error is that your endowed insti
tutions for education, applied to indus
try, are intended to give primary in
struction in the rudiments of Agricul
ture and the Mechanic Arts; that in
X culture they are to take young men
> never touched a spade—who do
not know wheat from barley—who are
too proud or too indolent to go upon a
farm, and teach them the A. B. C. of
farming—the usual method of spading,
hoeing and plowing, just as they might
learn it in every field of this broad land.
Or that in Mechanic Arts they should
take young men too indolent or too
proud to go into the workshop, and set
them at playing with tools, in the hope
of teaching them to wield a hammer or
shove a plane. In short, the error is
that a royal road shall be given to
young men, by allowing them to play
mechanic or play farmer, while their
parents are tpo proud to let them do
the real thing. Nothing can be more
absurd—nothing more repugnant to the
spirit which has prompted National and
State endowments, nothing more fatal
to the true practical purposes of theso
institutions.”
OPINIONS OF EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS.
The Committee would respectfully
invite your attention to the following
extracts from the writings of distin
guished educators; and they submit
that the opinions of men who have
made education in its various depart
ments a life-study, should have their
legitimate influence in the consideration
of this question. Hon. J. 11. McChes
ney, in his report on Agricultural Edu
cation in Europe, says: (v. Ag. Rep.
1868.)
“If the farmer or mechanic must go
to an institution apart from students
fitting themselves for other callings,
his education will always he looked upon
as a sort of half education, or at least as
being of an inferior grade. Give tli£se_
students a jwsition ofhonor equal to any
others, and for an equal amount of good
study in any chosen course award the
same credit. Contact of mind with mind
plays a decided part in education. The
contact of students of all callings
creates new power, and spurs forward
to higher ambitions. This influence or
atmosphere of study is measurably lost
by separate schools. Then, by associa
ting the literary and scientific and the
practical students, there is less danger
of the social stamp being put upon the
one differing from that put upon anoth
er. This is of great importance. In
the University, too, any student may
consult his taste or interest by acquir
ing a knowledge of studies allied to
his chosen course, although not strictly
belonging to it.”
“Economy is greatly on the side of
the University plan. The machinery
required is to a great extent the same
for all the courses, and to multiply it,
so as to supply as many separate schools
as there are natural sub-divisions in the
University, would be a great waste of
capital.”
“My own opinion is that well-organ
ized Agricultural departments in our
American Universities, are the first and
the leading demand, not only for the
promotion of scientific agriculture in
the United States, but to lift practical
agriculture into a thorough system, and
to its highest development In every
consideration of economy, thorough
ness and comprehensiveness, such
schools of agriculture must rank before
separate academies, [Colleges.] The
mere physical advantages that must
constitute a part of the accessories of
any good University, offer advantages
to the student of agriculture, such as
it is almost impossible to accumulate
fora separate academy [Colleges]; such
as Chemical and Philosophical appara
tus, collections in botany, zoology,
mineralogy, libraries, &c.”
We would recapitulate, in conclusion,
the arguments herein presented in favor
of the principle of association.
1. That a large majority of the
States have wisely adopted this princi
ple.
2. That the expense of an indepen
dent Agricultural College is great, and
should be avoided if possible; the an-
Concltided on thirdpaye.