FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 299 



senator and representative in congress. The college was opened to students 

 May 13, 1857. 



Thus began the pioneer agricultural college of this country under many of 

 the most adverse circumstances one could imagine. Built in an almost wilder- 

 ness, surrounded by dismal swanqis, twenty miles from any railroad, the large 

 farm which belonged was almost in a state of, nature; the legislature deemino^ 

 it an exi)criment were afraid to be liberal for fear of its failure and barely gave 

 it enough to keep it alive, proposing to give it a liberal endowment when it 

 should prove itself a success, or, in other words, saying, "When you can sup- 

 port yourself we will help you." No guides were offered from which to choose 

 a course of instruction, and the whole policy and discipline had to be gained 

 by its own experience. Many people, especially the farmers Avho should have 

 been its patrons, looked upon it in disdain. Many objected to it on the 

 grounds of cost, not stopping to think that it was the design of the college to 

 increase their earnings and enjoyments and to elevate the calling to that 

 higher dignity to which it belonged. Many asked, with a defiant air. How 

 can you teach a man to plow and hoe and to do the practical work of a farm? 

 Now it is not the object of the college to give the student a complete education 

 in the daily work of a farm, for the short course of four years would be insuffi- 

 cient to carry it out and give the student, at the same time, the more impor- 

 tant part. Many objected to it because they did not like the idea of book or 

 scientific farming. Too general was the false idea that the scientific farmer 

 was one who went afield with his mouth crammed full of hard words, his coat- 

 tails stuffed with learned treatises, and his hands filled with gallipots from the 

 drug-store with which to make senseless and jn'ofitless experiments. Much of 

 the feeling against science as applied to agriculture has, without doubt, grown 

 out of a "wrong understanding of what is meant. "Science is a knowledge of 

 facts, events, or phenomena as explained accounted for or produced by means 

 of powers, causes, or laws," and science, as applied to agriculture, is simply a 

 knowledge of and conformitv to nature's laws. Now it would sound strange 

 indeed to say that success was the offspring of ignorance, or that a farmer 

 Avould unfit himself for his calling by conforming to nature's laws. 



Another source from which much of the abuse that has been heaped upon 

 science and its teachings comes on account of those who have much book 

 learning and less Avisdom and experience. Many of you have heard of the 

 tanner who had for a sign a calf's tail drawn through a knot-hole over his door. 

 He had noticed several times a studious looking man, with gold eye-glasses and 

 cane, intently looking at the tail hour after hour. One day the tanner accosted 

 him and asked, "Do you wish to buy some leather?" He replied, "No," and 

 continued to observe the tail. The tanner then asked, "Have you hides to 

 sell?" When he replied, "No; I am a philosopher, and am trying to satisfy 

 my reason how that calf got through that knot-hole." Do you wonder that 

 such men, claiming to be scientists, should bring contempt upon science in the 

 eyes of the ignorant who do not recognize that his teachings are those of igno- 

 rance instead of science. 



The objects of the college are — 



First, To give a knowledge of science and its application to the arts of life. 

 Those sciences are especially made prominent whose teachings are useful 

 in the improvement of agriculture, as chemistry, botany, entomology, physiol- 

 ogy, etc. These studies are much longer dwelt upon than in other colleges 

 where their object is not to apply the teachings of science to an art. Here the 



