224 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



Mr. Periam — I, for one, do not imagine but that the board of trustees 

 are doing everything in their power to forward this enterprise, in the 

 fullest acceptation of the term ; but I am not one who believes that 

 Dr. Gregory has this great comprehension of industrial education which 

 he has been said to have. I do not say anything about classics. I do 

 believe, however, that the student of that college should go there from 

 other colleges, rather than that he should go there to obtain the knowl- 

 edge that he can obtain elsewhere. The institution has been carried on 

 against the wishes of the people of the State of Illinois, and the course 

 of study at that college, at the time of the commencement of the present 

 term was such, that just one hour per day was devoted to agriculture. 

 But, sir, I say also, to-day, that the State of Missouri, in sending gen- 

 tlemen over the countr}^ to examine into this question, ignored the State 

 of Illinois entirely, and directed them to make investigations in Michi- 

 gan, Wisconsin and Iowa. It looks as though there was good ground 

 for this action, when the institution is not carried on as it ought to be. 



Mr. Flagg — Do you consider the Wisconsin college in any respect an 

 advance upon Illinois? 



Mr. Periam — I do not know. I simply state this fact. I hope, sir, 

 that this matter will continue to be brought up before our body, until we 

 get a radical change in industrial education. If our students go there 

 with a full knowledge of the classics, so much the better. But give 

 them so much ©f chemistry as will enable them to understand the com- 

 position of the soil, so much of botany as will enable them to under- 

 stand the structure of plants, so much of medicine as to understand the 

 diseases of their stock. 



Mr. Shepherd — I v^^ant to talk some on this subject. I believe it is 

 well to hear all that can be said for or against a subject, and I think it 

 is well to spend our time in long and patient hearing on this subject. I 

 went to Bunker Hill last time to ventilate this subject. I came here, 

 and waited patiently, and now I do not know how to say what I should 

 on this subject. Well, sir, I was one of those who aided in eliminating 

 the idea that has brought the agricultural and mechanical education of 

 the people to be considered a great national matter. I gloried in its 



