Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1872 [PAGE 228]

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tural industry." While this may speak well for the enterprise of the New England farmer, or gardener, it speaks volumes of disgrace to the western corn grower. I know not but they will one day ship off our fertile soil itself, to cover up their rocks and hard-pan, and leave us to cultivate blue clay or whatever sub-soil we may find. I can see a great advantage to be derived from the scientific and practical education given at agricultural colleges and universities, as here men are being educated in such a manner that they are qualified to superintend manufacturing enterprises. There is capital here already, and more will come, when we have men to manage the enterprises to advantage. They may be found among the graduates of our university. When we become a manufacturing people like New England, we shall not then send our corn 1,000 miles to be used as a fertilizer, but shall find use for it at home. I am told that we cannot become manufacturers, that this is an agricultural State, etc. I will quote from "Geological surveys of Illinois/' Yol. 1, pp. 48 and 49 : "The steam engine has become the indispensable agent of productive industry throughout the civilized world, and that country which possesses the greatest facilities for the cheap generation of steam power, all other things being equal, will inevitably take the advance in commerce and manufactures, and must consequently progress with rapid strides on the highway of national wealth and power. * # # # The coal bearing strata, or coal measures, cover more than two-thirds of the surface of the entire State, comprising a larger area of coal lands than can be found within the boundaries of any other State in the Union." When our scientific men tell us these things they must expect that we will grow restive under a system that takes all the profits from our productions to take them to market. I t may be thought that I have wandered from the subject assigned me 5 but I hope not. We spend three or four years to raise a steer and fit him for market, but the day of great importance is the market day, the day above all others. Then we may learn if our years of labor have been remunerated or not. With regard to the proper division of the farm, so as to give the best results, by apportioning to pasture, meadow and the plow each the proper amount, so as to establish a rotation of crops, I think we should have, where all the farm is under cultivation, one-half for the plow, onefourth for pasture and one-fourth for meadow. Pastures should be more than abundant; we are apt to allow our pastures to be fed too close, and deprive animals of the benefits derived from good pastures, and also damage the lands. I am satisfied that the summer months is the time that animals should put on growth and fat, and winter feeding, while it may accomplish much, will always be expensive.