22 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



if they were not infants, they would not be boys who ever saw a 

 cow, but had always drunk pump milk — a regular white-livered 

 set of boys, sent out into the country for their health. That 

 was the kind of boys we were going to have. Now, what have 

 we got ? Instead of no students, we have admitted, in the first 

 twelve months, upon a written examination, ninety-six, and 

 these boys, on their entrance, averaged more than eighteen 

 years of age. Seventy-four out of the ninety-six understood 

 farm labor, and had worked upon a farm. Well, that is encour- 

 aging, but the question is, are these boys going to be farmers ? 

 Tliat is the great thing, after all. Some of our best friends, 

 even, said, " You are doing a first-rate work ; this college is 

 going to educate the young men well, and they will go out and 

 be shining lights in the world; but they won't be farmers." I 

 could not say they would ; and I can only say now, that all the 

 young men, when they come here, are required to give an 

 answer to the question " What profession have you in view ? " 

 and out of those who have entered the college, thirty-five of the 

 older and better class of students, (if there is any choice among 

 them ; I do not think there is much,) have written down their 

 names on the record book as intending to be farmers, if you 

 know what that is. Forty-three have said that they have not 

 decided ; and it will be a very wise thing for them, if they have 

 not yet made up their minds, to decide to be farmers. All I 

 can say is, that these young men study agriculture and every- 

 thing pertaining to agriculture, with great zeal. Many of the 

 gentlemen present have heard them examined, and know whether 

 they have learned anything about agriculture. I know they 

 have learned a great deal about agriculture, and many other 

 things, that they are studious and attentive, and are likely to 

 make very respectable men. 



But, not to occupy too much time with these details, I have 

 no doubt that the students, having served as a mark to be shot 

 at, would like to see the faculty taken up. Well, I think the 

 faculty of sucli a college is a matter of great importance. I 

 think its success, as that of all other colleges, depends much 

 upon the faculty, and, so far as I have any influence as a mem- 

 ber of the Board of Overseers, I mean to have a good faculty. 

 In regard to the President, I will not say what I think just 

 now, only this : That I have watched him pretty closely for the 



