COLIvEGK OF AGRICULTURE. 255 



service — the school course, the short courses in general agricul- 

 ture, dairying, horticulture and poultr}- management, corres- 

 pondence courses, 8 in number, and lecture courses. Since 

 then other lines such as co-operative experiments with fertilizers, 

 grains, and grasses of various kinds; demonstrations in testing 

 milk; pruning, grafting, and spraying of fruit trees; judging of 

 grains, vegetables and live stock; special farming trains; Farm- 

 ers' Week, and the issuing of publications of various kinds, have 

 been added to the list. 



We will now proceed to take up in turn the several lines of 

 extension service the College of Agriculture has been engaged in 

 during the past year. 



Short Courses: Five short courses in agriculture were of- 

 fered during the year. Four of these courses were very similar 

 to those offered in 1903, viz. : general agriculture, dairying, horti^ 

 culture, and poultry management. A fifth course in agriculture, 

 social and rural economies was given for the first time in the 

 summer of 191 1 ; the attendance on this course and the general 

 approval given by those in attendance was of such a nature that 

 the College feels encouraged to offer the course again next year. 

 Eight years ago there were 18 students registered in the short 

 courses; wdiile in 191 1 there were 94 students, representing a 

 gain during the past eight years of 522 per cent. 



The short courses are offered in recognition of the fact that 

 there are many farmers who desire to receive instruction in 

 the science of agriculture beyond the opportunity offered by an 

 occasional lecture and who perhaps cannot afford either the 

 time or expense necessary^ to complete the regular two or four 

 years courses in agriculture. That the short courses are filling an 

 important place in extension work is fully demonstrated by the 

 increased registration of students and the practical results ac- 

 complished by those who have taken them. 



Correspondence Courses: The College of Agriculture of 

 the University was one of the first Colleges to organize and 

 direct correspondence courses in the various phases of agricul- 

 ture, and until recently it was the only Agricultural College in 

 New England to offer such course. At the present time 11 dif- 

 ferent courses are given as follows : 



