358 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and practically nothing has been done in the more purely social ques- 

 tions. Here is a great untilled field. How the various farm industries 

 have developed, a comprehensive study of the agricultural market, the 

 relation of transportation to the industry, the tendencies as to central- 

 ization of farms and tenant-farming, the sociological questions of rural 

 illiteracy, pauperism, insanity, health, education, the effects of rural 

 life upon character, religious life in the country — a hundred subjects 

 of importance in the solution of the farm problem are almost virgin 

 soil for the scientific investigator. It is the business of the agricul- 

 tural colleges to assist, if not to lead, in such work of research. It is 

 work that must be done before the social phases of agricultural educa- 

 tion can be fully developed. 



When we come to the course of study, we face a question difficult 

 for some colleges because the agricultural curriculum is already over- 

 crowded. I have not time to discuss this practical administrative ques- 

 tion. I believe, however, that it can be worked out. What I wish to 

 emphasize is the idea that in every agricultural course the social prob- 

 lems of the farmers shall have due attention. We should not permit 

 a person to graduate in such a course unless he has made a fairly ade- 

 quate study of the history and status of agriculture, of the govern- 

 mental j)roblems that have special bearing upon agricultural progress, 

 of such questions in agricultural economics as markets, transportation, 

 business cooperation, and of such phases of rural sociology as farmers' 

 organizations, the country church, rural and agricultural education, and 

 the conditions and movements of the rural population. For the college 

 can not carry out the purpose we have ascribed to it, unless these sub- 

 jects are given an important place in the course of study. We talk 

 about the work of the college in training leaders, usually meaning by 

 leaders men who are expert specialists or possibly farmers of extra- 

 ordinary skill. Do we realize that the greatest need of American agri- 

 culture to-day is its need of social leadership? Nothing can be more 

 imperative than that the agricultural college shall send out to the farms 

 both men and women who have not only the capacity to win business 

 success, but who also have the social vision, who are moved to be of 

 service to the farm community, and who have the training which will 

 enable them to take intelligent leadership in institute, school, church, 

 grange, and in all movements for rural progress. Upon the college 

 is thrust the responsibility of training men and women to understand 

 the whole rural problem and from the vantage ground of successful 

 farming to be able to lead the way toward a higher status for all 

 farmers. 



Possibly the argument for introducing rural social science into the 

 agricultural course is chiefly a sociological one. But there is also in- 

 volved a pedagogical question of most profound significance. For sev- 



