Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 307]

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299 mentation. It is very clear to any one who has considered the p^bject at all that very great advantages could be derived by co-operation in experimentation—a subject which both of us had a good deal at heart. Having gone that far, the further consideration arose that this experimentation is to be done largely by the agricultural colleges, probably, and involve the agricultural colleges generally, and they again would involve pretty much all, or a large share of those institutions, founded on the national grant for the advancement of agricultural and mechanical arts, -and they would include again a very large portion, perhaps nearly all of the institutions that are seeking the new education — I believe that is the term—so that there is quite a bond of unity running through all this, which would make it desirable in many respects not only to have those who are engaged in agricultural experimentation in the various agricultural colleges interested in this matter, but all interested in the institutions, perhaps, from the community of sentiment and community of interest and the possibility of our needing a defense. There are a good many reasons for forming a permanent organization which should be tolerably broad in its character. Primarily, the gentlemen who first called this meeting were seeking to carry out these agricultural experiments in common to get our whole country at work, if possible, in the matter of improving the scientific basis of our agriculture. That in itself is a great work and one which will involve a great deal of time, and might, perhaps, fully occupy any convention that we should be able to hold. At the same time, in view of the fact that there has, I believe, no convention whatever, ever been held of the Presidents of our Agricultural Colleges, and of those who are specially interested in their management, and inasmuch as they are new institutions, striking out a new path, in which co-operation, mutual advice and mutual experience will be eminently beneficial, it seems to me that there are pretty strong reasons for making this organization very general and broad in its character. I merely throw out these general considerations now, Mr. President, with the hope that those who have considered the interests of the agricultural educators will speak further upon it. Mr. Miles—It seems to me this question narrows itself down to the proposition whether it is desirable to continue an organization here which has been called for an especial purpose. The persons here in this Convention represent to a large extent the subordinate oflicers of the colleges which are engaged in this particular work. The primary object of their being called here, as stated by Mr. Flagg, was to get them to co operate. It seems to me that they have a right to or-