ADDRESSES 255 



a liberal education, they are directed to teach such branches 

 of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic 

 arts, with the declared object of providing for those classes 

 a liberal and practical education in the various pursuits and 

 professions in life." It has resulted from this that, adapt- 

 ing themselves to the individual needs of their respective 

 states, some are exclusively agricultural, while others 

 combine the agricultural with the mechanical. Three 

 things are named in the organic law : agriculture, mechanic 

 arts, and military tactics. The name "agricultural" used 

 alone is therefore as misleading as that of "mechanical' 3 

 or "military" would be. 



A quarter of a century has passed since the passage of 

 the act, and sufficient time has now elapsed to show its 

 merits or defects. The grant was originally based upon 

 representation in population, resulting in very unequal 

 endowments, the smaller states receiving a much smaller 

 amount than the larger ones, while the expenses of main- 

 tenance were about the same. Again, it was found that in- 

 stitutions for teaching natural science required a much 

 larger outlay for the "plant" and for their annual work 

 than purely literary institutions. The scientific work re- 

 quired to be done in the course of instruction and experi- 

 ment demanded an extensive equipment in the way of 

 laboratories, machine-shops, apparatus, farms to be used 

 for purposes of experiment, cattle to be tested for their 

 qualities, etc. In the twenty -five years past the field of 

 science had so greatly enlarged, and the demands made 

 upon the colleges so greatly increased, that none but the 

 wealthier institutions could keep pace with them, or even 

 measurably answer the requirements of the times. To 



