University of Maryland College Park - Terrapin / Reveille Yearbook (College Park, MD)

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would assume her true place among the states as the Garden of the East . This was the motive which inspired those generous citizens of Maryland in 1859, to contribute of their wealth and land to organize an Agricultural College, — the second of its kind in this Continent; and it was to foster this patriotic enterprise that the Federal Government by Act of Congress, gave a substantial income to our College. If you would promote the Commonwealth, you must encourage its greatest bulwark, Agriculture; if you would encourage agriculture, you must put it in the power of the young farmer to improve his condition, and add to the knowledge acquired by his forefathers. Let the State of Maryland realize, and realize at once, that nearly every acre within her borders maj be made to teem with abundant harvests, if with patience her farmers assume the task of reclaiming her abandoned acres, by employing intelligent and up-to-date methods; let the farmers of Maryland know that their .sons can receive no richer heritage than a knowledge of how to improve the soil; let them insist that the State, for who.se support they pay taxes, divert at least a tithe to enhance the Agricultural wealth of the State, and let this aid be granted to the Agricultural College, not at the request of the Board of Tru.stees, but rather on the demand of the Agriculturists of the State for what of right reverts to them, — then we hhall see the consummation of that object so devoutly desired, — the farmer ' s son looking forward not to the time when he can escape from the farm to go to the city to be motorman, bookkeeper, hired man or what not, with all the temptations and unhealthful en- vironments that such a life offers; but, to the time when having equipped himself with the requisite knowledge at the Marylai-.d Agricultural College, he can take his place on the farm as a skilled agriculturist, and derive from kind Mother Earth that wealth which she will always liountifully supply to those who use her kindly, and KNOW HOW to treat her well. II

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added to her taxable basis, and every cent expended in the cause of education has proven a most profitable in- vestment. Now the Federal Government has, in consequence of the wisdom and patriotic foresight of one of her Senators, assumed a position towards the States, precisely analogous to that of the State towards the Counties, — apparently arguing down this line. Any system of instruction whereby a man can learn to make two blades of grass grow where one grew before, must needs cause our National Wealth to increase, and increase largely beyond the original cost of instruction. — The soil is the source of our National prosperity, hence we must develop its fer- tility to the maximum . In accordance with this idea, the United States Government appropriates $25,000 per annum to the Agri- cultural College in every State for the specific purpose of instruction in Agriculture, and the Mechanic Arts. It pre-supposes that the State is willing to help itself, (just as our State assumes that the County will build its own .school houses), and so the appropriation is restricted to the Facilities for Instruction, along these certain lines. It is indeed a .state very much behind the times which will not provide suitable quarters to accommodate its students, educated otherwise at Government expense. And be it said to their credit, that the law-makers of most of our states have evinced their appreciation of the opportunities offered by the general goverment, by providing commodious quarters for their Agricultural Colleges. It is to be regretted that our own State, with all her thrift in commerce, with cargoes bound for every port; with all her pre-eminence in Manufactures, with her products in demand in every quarter of the globe, has rested supinely on her oars, and allowed herself to be out- stripped by her sister States in Agricultural progress; and her neglect of her Agricultural College is a part of the unwisdom of this policy. Our state though, relatively speaking, limited in area, is unique in the variety of her natural resources. There is scarcely a State East of the Missis.sippi, and North of the Carolinas which may not find its counter- part in soil, climate and productions in some sections of Maryland; yet in Maryland the opportunities offered to compete with these states, are for the most part over- looked. Where intelligent and scientific methods have been practiced, we have seen that Maryland can vie with Minnesota in wheat, with Illinois in corn, with Virginia in tobacco, with New York in apples, with Delaware in peaches and with Ohio in stock, and with New Jersey in vegetables. Those who are succeeding in these respective specialties are working along modern scientific lines, and it is in this Modern Scientific Agriculture that instruction is being offered at our Agricultural College today! With the power that knowledge gives, the hundreds of abandoned farms in our State can be reclaimed and made to blossom like the rose; millions of dollars could therebv be added to our taxable basis, and Maryland

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Calendar for 1902=1903. FALL TERM. September 16-17 Entrance Examinations. September 18 Thursdaj ' , 8.45 A. M., College Work Begins. October 10 Friday, Meeting of the Board of Trustees. December 12 Friday, Meeting of the Board of Trustees. December 19 . Friday noon. Fall Term Ends. December 19, Noon-January 5, Noon Christmas Holidays. WINTER TERM. January 5 Monday Noon, Winter Term Begins. January 13 Friday, Meeting of Board of Tru.stees. April 9 Thursday Noon, Winter Term Ends. April 9, Noon-April 14, 8.45 A. M . Easter Holidays. SPRING TERM April 14 Tuesday, 8.45 A. M., Spring Term Begins. June 8-12 Final Examinations. June 12 Friday, Meeting of Board of Trustees. June 14 Sunday, 4 P. M., Baccalaureate Sermon. June 15 Monday, Class Day. June 16 Tuesday, Alumni Day. June 17 Wednesday, 11.00 A.M., Commencement Exercises.