Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 309]

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301 terested in agricultural education, where we can discuss when we meet, as we discuss here, all these questions. But, on the other hand, the specific object for which this Convention is called, is a proper object, and a sufficient object probably for an organization by itself. I know that the experimental stations in Europe have an annual meeting of all the experimenters and chemists—those interested, and the rest of the institution is not represented, nor are its interests represented. They meet in the annual Convention to report upon their experiments, and to discuss conditions of experimentation, and to arrange for experiments; and they meet for that purpose alone, and it is a matter which fully occupies their time and attention. The difficulty in an organization which should embrace all the interests that are represented in an industrial institution, would be this : that we would be as we are now— crowded for time. Some of us are interested in all the questions concerning these institutions, and they press upon u s ; they are practical questions—they are meeting us in the face as soon as we get at home. We have got to battle our way through with them some way or other, and with that light or information, and with that comparison of views and relation of experience ; and we cannot have these unless sufficient time could be given. Now, it remains with the Convention, it seems to me, to determine whether the organization that is proposed to be made, should be an organization like that of the European, for discussion for experiments, reporting experiments, and arranging experiments ; or whether it shall be a Convention of educators in these schools who will meet to discuss the general management of schools, experiments included. I think it will strike you at once as a practical difficulty with the experiments themselves constituting so leading an interest, whether that object itself would not call us together, and when we get together we could not discuss the other questions. Mr. Flagg—I wish to ask for information, in order to bring out another fact, to what extent our educators from the agricultural colleges find that the questions they desire to consider, are considered in the National Convention of Education. The Chairman—My impression is, that they have but little place there; that the discussions do not come upon our ground except incidentally ; and that our topics at present have no very warm welcome in that Convention ; and that there is a radical divergence of views between us and the leading men who are leading this National Educational Convention. And so as between the two, not feeling able to go to both, I came to this, as I shall probably do in every case.