Xo. 4.] WORK OF COLLEGE AND STATION. 189 



from the general government. Tuition is practically free to 

 every son of Massachusetts, and we derive very little income 

 from our students. Our present resources, although much 

 larger than were those of a few years ago, are yet inadequate 

 for our needs. For every single dollar we have to spend we 

 can see the need of many. It is no part of my intention, 

 however, to beg for the college. You want to hear what we 

 have done, what we propose to do. Ours is an agricultural 

 college, and it may be thought that the most satisfactory 

 demonstration of the utility of such an institution would l)e 

 aflbrded by the proof that we have educated many men to be 

 good farmers. I shall show you that we have done this ; but 

 it is just because we do not make all, or almost all, of our 

 students farmers, that we are often criticised. Let me 

 attempt to show you why this is the case. Our institution 

 is a college in which, to quote the language of the original 

 act, under which it was established, "the leading object 

 shall l)e, without excluding scientific and classical studies, 

 and including military tactics, to teach such branches of 

 learning as are related to agriculture ... in such manner 

 as the Legislature of the State may prescribe, in order to 

 promote the liberal and practical education of the indus- 

 trial classes in the several pursuits and professions of life." 

 This language makes sufiiciently evident the fact that it was 

 something more than the mere training of young men to be 

 farmers that the framers of the original Morrill act had in 

 view. Had this l)een the object, a numl)er of model farms 

 in each State, upon which young men could be trained, 

 would better have subserved the purpose. Or, at the most, 

 farm schools instead of agricultural colleges should have been 

 founded. That such model farms for the training of young- 

 men, and that farm schools where the practical side of farm- 

 ing should have been made especially prominent would have 

 proved useful, I sincerely believe ; and, as I shall more par- 

 ticularly point out later, I think there is a demand for one 

 of these institutions now ; but as sincerely do I believe that 

 the Agricultural College has served even more important 

 uses than such schools could have served. 



It should be remembered that opportunities for ]iractical 

 training upon private farms existed on every side, while 



