252 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



information in such a manner that those engaged in farming 

 will readily adapt the principles involved to their farming 

 operations. 



The College aims not only to teach the "why" but also to 

 demonstrate the "how" of modern farming practice. In addi- 

 tion to the above, extension service aims to promote rural wel- 

 fare, to upbuild community life and community institutions. 

 Agricultural extension as we know it today is a product of 

 very recent years. The need for extension work manifested 

 itself many years ago and was the primary reason for the 

 establishment of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations. 



That the Experiment Station has provided very efficient 

 means for the investigation of agricultural problems, the rapidly 

 accumulating body of agricultural knowledge testifies. "vSearch- 

 ing for the truth" is the prime function of the Station. The 

 function of the College is, however, along very different lines. 

 Its special duty is to instruct resident students and for this 

 purpose it goes into the realms of science and gathers the estab- 

 lished facts so far as science relates itself to agriculture. It 

 organizes these facts into teachable form and then it makes the 

 application in such a manner as shall not only acquaint the 

 student with the science but also make him proficient in the 

 art of agriculture. The function of the College therefore is to 

 "teach the truth" to resident students. These two institutions 

 in their special functions of "searching for the truth" and 

 "teaching the truth" have fitted exactly into the place they were 

 designed to fill and at the same time developed the need for the 

 organization of some special means for "spreading the truth." 

 This need was quickly realized by both the College and the 

 Station and steps were at once undertaken to solve the problem. 

 The beginning was made in 1804 and marks the inception of 

 what is now known as extension work. The movement was at 

 first rather slow in getting under way but since the first few 

 years very rapid progress ha« been made so that there is not a 

 single Agricultural College in this country that is not now en- 

 gaged in extension work more or less extensively, according to 

 its financial ability. The College of Agriculture, University of 

 Maine, was early in the field of extension work. The catalog 

 for the year 1903-4 announced four distinct lines of extension 



