74 



secretary of the board, and suggested that were it deemed necessary and could be accom- 

 plished by the professor "lectures on the subject of agriculture should be delivered." 

 (Ohio Agricultural Report, 1850, p. 53.) 



The second period was that of experiment in institute work. A course of agricul- 

 tural lectures was inaugurated at Oberlin, December 4, 1854, to continue for three 

 months. There were four departments in charge of the following gentlemen: 



Dr. James Dascomb, Chemistry in its application to soils, manures, animal and vege- 

 table life, domestic arts, etc. 



Dr. N. S. Townshend, Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, with special reference 

 to the feeding and breeding of stock; History and Description of Domestic Animals; 

 Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Entomology, etc. 



Dr. John S. Newberry, Geology and Mineralogy, Botany, etc. 



Prof. James H. Fairchild, Natural Philosophy; Agricultural Mechanics; Farm 

 Implements; Meteorology; Elements of Engineering and Land Surveying; Rural 

 Architecture; Lanscape Gardening and Farm Bookkeeping. (Ohio Cultivator, 1854, 

 p. 286.) 



Only a few young men took advantage of these lectures at Oberlin, so during the 

 winters of 1855 and 1856 they were held in Cleveland, but evidently with no better 

 success, as they were then discontinued. Doctor Dascomb, at the close of the last 

 term, remarked to a friend, " Ohio is not ready for this work and will not be for twenty 

 years." 



There seems to have been no further special effort in this direction for a number of 

 years, but good seed had been sown. Farmers' clubs and other farmers' organizations 

 increased rapidly in number and much valuable information was disseminated thru 

 these organizations and thru the medium of the agricultural press. 



During all these years Doctor Townshend was teaching the doctrine of higher educa- 

 tion for the farmer with unflagging zeal in addresses to county agricultiu*al societies, 

 farmers' clubs, etc. 



A few years after the opening of the Agricultural and Mechanical College the board 

 of trustees decided (under the inspiration of Doctor Townshend), in order to make 

 "the college more immediately serviceable to the agricultural interests of the State, 

 to provide a course of free lectures on topics of practical interest to farmers." In 1878 

 an effort was made to establish in the college a course of lectures on the sciences relat- 

 ing to agriculture. It was proposed to have four lectures a day for ten weeks. Only 

 seven farmers responded, so the effort was abandoned for that year. 



The following year the matter was taken up by the granges of the State, and when 

 the lecture com-se opened, January 9, 1879, there was a large number of intelligent and 

 earnest farmers in attendance, over one hundred names being entered on the class reg- 

 ister. The course continued four weeks and all the members of the faculty took part, 

 Doctor Townshend delivering two lectures a day and the others one each. 



The second term began January 13, 1880, but the time was reduced to three weeks. 

 The attendance was about the same as the previous year. 



A third course was held in January, 1881, continuing ten days. 



September 14, 1880, Dr. W. I. Chamberlain, secretary of the Ohio State Board of 

 Agriculture, asked for definite authority "to cooperate with county or other local agri- 

 cultural societies and granges in calling and organizing farmers' institutes or agricul- 

 tural conventions during the present fall and winter." (Ohio Agricultm'al Report, 

 1880, p. 19.) 



A resolution was at once adopted appropriating $] ,000 from the earnings of the State 

 fair for the purpose of inaugurating farmers' institutes in Ohio, and during the winter 

 of 1880-81 the good work began by holding 27 institutes. 



The following season, 1881-82, the same number was held, 27; in 1882-83, 33; 

 1883-84, 39; 1884-85, 41; 1885-86, 43; 1886-87, 47; 1887-88, 81; in 1888-89 the board 

 was able to appropriate only about one-half the amount that had been expended the 

 previous year for this work, and there was consequently a decrease in the number, 

 only 53 being held; in 1889-90, 62 were held. 



