SKETCH OF MANLY MILES. 105 



Prof. Bvron 1). llalsti-d, of the New .Jersey A}ii-ieultiiial Colle^'e 

 Experiment Station, who was an agricultural \m\n\ of Dr. Miles in 

 Lansinji^, characterizes him as havinj^ been a full man who knew his 

 subjects (leejily and fondly. "In those days I am safe in writinj;- that 

 he rei)resA'nte(i the forefront of advanced aj;riculture in America. He 

 was in close touch with such men as I^awes and Gilbert, Kothamstead, 

 England, the famous field-crop experimenters of the world, and as 

 for his knowledge of breeds of live stock and their origin. Miles' 

 Stock-Breeding is a classic work. Dr. Miles, in short, was a close 

 student, a born investigator, hating an error, but using it as a stepping 

 stone toward truth. He did American farming a lasting service, and 

 his deeds live after him.'' 



While loved by his students, most of whom have been successful and 

 many have gained eminence as agricultural professors or workers in 

 experiment stations, and while receiving sympathy and suj)port from 

 President Abbott, Dr. utiles was not appreciated by the politicians, or 

 by all of the Board of Agriculture, or even by the public at large. Unkind 

 and captious criticisms were made of his work, and it was found fault 

 with on economical grounds, as if its prime purpose had been to make 

 money. He therefore resigned his position in 1875, and accepted the 

 professorship of agriculture in the Hlinois State University. Thence 

 he removed to the Houghton Farm of Lawson Valentine, near Mountain- 

 A'ille, N. Y., where he occupied himself with scientific experimental 

 investigation. He was afterward professor of agriculture in the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural College, at Amherst. In announcing this appoint- 

 ment to the students. Dr. Chadbourne, then president of the institu- 

 tion, and himself a most successful teacher, stated that he considered 

 Dr. Miles as the ablest man in the United States for that position. In 

 188G, shortly after Dr. Chadbourne's death. Dr. INIiles returned to his 

 old home in Lansing, Michigan, where he spent the rest of his life in 

 study, research, and the writing of books and articles for scientific 

 publications. 



During these later years of his life he took up again with what had 

 been his favorite pursuit in earlier days, but with which he had not 

 occupied himself for thirty years — the study of mollusks — with the 

 enthusiasm of a young man, ^[r. Walker says, who being interested in 

 the same study, was in constant correspondence with him at this time; 

 "and as far as his strength permitted labored with all the acumen and 

 attention to details which were so characteristic of him. I was par- 

 ticularly struck with his familiarity with the present drift of scientific 

 investigation and thought, and his thorough appreciation of modern 

 methods of w^ork. He was greatly interested in the work I was carrying 

 on with reference to the geographical distribution of the mollusca, and, 

 as would naturally be sup])osed from his own work in heredity in con- 

 nection with our domestic animals, took great pleasure in discussing 

 the relations of the species as they are now found and their possible 

 lines of descent. He w^as a careful and accurate observer of nature, 

 and if he had not drifted into other lines of work would undoubtedly 

 have made his mark as a great naturalist. As it is. his name will 

 always have an honored place in the scientific history of Michigan." 

 14 



