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Wisconsin State Agricultural Society / Transactions of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, including the proceedings of the state agricultural convention held in February, 1885, together with other practical papers
Vol. XXIII (1885)
Sloan, I. C.
Agricultural education, pp. 273-280
Page 277
AGRicuLTuRALEDUCATION. and here the interesting inquiry arises as to what they are and how a krowledpe of ý- them is to be imparted. I have been greatly interested lately in reading a very able report made by Col. Vilas and Mr. Hitt, a committee appointed by the Board of Regents of the State University, who have evidently investigated this subject and whose views have been made publie.through the press. While they do not think an institution separate from the University is desirable or wise, they have enumerated the branches of knowledge which they think should be taught iin an agri- cultural college. They are first, agriculture, embracing lectures on stock breeding, dairying, crops and rotation, drainage, general farm management, and farm bookkeeping they add, and other kindred subjeets, but are evidently at a loss to name them. Now their first subject, stock breeding, is in an uneertain and unsettled condition; a subject on'which the most intel- ligent farmers differ and which seems to depend upon nat- ural judgment of each individual for success. Nobody can tell whether "" in-breeding " is wise or foolish, whether Jine breeding ought to be pursued or animals seleeted for their individual merits.. what breeds are best for the farmer., and when it comes to judging of stock at ex- hibitions., nobody seems to be able to tell whatanimals ought to receive prizes. In respect -to dairying, I suppose that any of our best farmers engaged in cheese or butter making~ o r for that matter an Engfish dairy maid from the distriets in England in which Cheddar and Stilto n cheeses, or the sweet cream butter of Devon are made, would impart more useful information than any professor that could be employed;- and in regard to. feeding dairy cows, farmers in this country are obliged to feed such fodder and grain as they ean most successf ully raise on their farms. Doubtless it would be interesting to them to know just how much proitein and how much earbhydrates each cow consumes, but it is doubtful if such knowledge would enhance their profits. Crops and rotation is another problein which is diffleult to solve, although the benefits of rotation have long sinee been wrought out by the experiments of all good farmeis.
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