420 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



State aud trustees would see that no stone be left unturned to secure 

 success. 



" The college was not richly endowed, aud the number of students was 

 not large. For this reason poverty met the trustees at every turn, — in 

 the compensation of professors, in the management of the farm, in the 

 erection of houses for the faculty : but this poverty was no fault of the 

 trustees ; they had not agreed, neither could it be expected, that they 

 would furnish money from their own pockets to make good deceits that 

 might occur. So from time to time appeals were made to the Legislature, 

 to which every year a full report of the management and condition was 

 made by the trustees. 



" By and by legislators grew weary of these annual or bi-annual calls. 

 The press took up the complaint. Denunciations of the college were in 

 every-day editorials, and at times the public press seemed to be striving 

 to see which could get the lead in its abusive attempts to set forth the 

 uselessness of the State Agricultural College. 



"In 1870, or thereabout, the Legislature made a change in the election 

 of the members of the Board of Trustees. Theretofore elected by the 

 Legislature, it was now provided that the board should be self-perpetuat- 

 ing, and in this way brought into harmony with all educational boards 

 that had been chartered by the State. It was thought, too, that this 

 change would relieve the State of the burden of the college, and that the 

 new Act would shift responsibility. 



" The trustees made no interference with the new action of the Legis- 

 lature. They had not asked it ; they did not oppose it : but, knowing 

 the history of the college, they knew that State responsibility could not 

 be thrown off. Acts might be passed, the statute-book might be covered 

 witli resolutions ; but this great fact would remain the same. It was 

 too late — too late. By solemn obligation and deliberation the responsi- 

 bility had been assumed, the lands granted by the Government had been 

 sold, the gift of the town of Amherst had been accepted, and there 

 was nothing to be done except for the State to fulfil its part of the 

 contract. 



" The trustees under the new Act of legislation continued to struggle 

 on. The press was against them, and many of tlie leading farmers of the 

 State preferred to make them and the college the basis of a joke rather 

 than give a word of encouragement. 



" At last, determining to test the popular will, free scholarships were 

 offered. That was three years since ; and, to their delight, the college for 

 the first time was tilled. Then it was discovei-ed that the people were 

 beginning to appreciate the college, and that prejudice was giving way. 

 But in another year it was found that the finances of the college would 

 not justify free scholarships, and with deep regret the trustees were 

 obliged to renew the former policy. The college classes relapsed into 

 tlieir former small numbers, and the taunt of a want of appreciation or 

 absolute uselessness was revived by the press. 



" But was it the fault of the trustees that the college was poor V 

 Had it been for once only that they would be called upon to bridge over a 

 deficit, or even twice, — and then tiicy could have assurance that tlie college 



