PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 307 



siderable extent on the lines laid down by this committee. The essen- 

 tial features of the course described in the paper are ( 1) a four years' 

 course leading to the degree of bachelor of science in agriculture, and 

 (2) a two years' course which does not lead to a degree. The feature 

 of this course Avhich attracted most attention and occasioned the 

 greatest discussion among delegates in the congress was the promi- 

 nence given to the use of live animals as means of illustration. 



The paper by A. C. True and I). J. Crosby was accepted and 

 incorporated in the report of the proceedings of the section. The 

 following is a summary of this paper: 



Briefly stated, the facilities for instruction in ayi-iculture in the United States 

 include the following : 



(1) Tbe U. S. Department of Agriculture and agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions in every State and Territory, wliicli afford oi)portunity for graduate study 

 in agriculture and are doing much through the preparation and distribution of 

 bulletins and reports for the dissemination of agricultural information. 



(2) Agricultural colleges in every State and Territory except Alaska, Hawaii, 

 and Porto Rico. These maintain collegiate courses in agriculture, short courses 

 for adults, reading courses, and correspondence courses, and aid in promoting 

 farmers' institutes and other forms of itinerant instruction, as well as ele- 

 mentary agricultural instruction in the public schools. 



(.'?) Agricultural high schools, either public or private, in .30 States and Terri- 

 tories. 



(4) Elementary agricultural instruction in at least a few of the public 

 schools in 2(j States and Territories. 



(5) Farmers' institutes, whicli are held in 4() States and Territories and 

 extend their influence to nearly a million of the rural population. 



(G) Agricultural associations, agricultural fairs, agricultural journals, and 

 other agencies which exert a more or less direct influence on the rural popula- 

 tion. 



Under the influence of these agencies, and of others less tangible but no less 

 l)owerful, agricultural practice in the United States is rapidly getting away from 

 the traditions and superstitions which once dominated nearly every act of the 

 farmer. It is more and more governed by scientific principles, and farming is 

 liecoming a profession which enlists as high talent and is held in as high 

 esteem as the so-called learned professions. 



Liberal provision was made in the programme of the congress for 

 the consideration of questions relating to popularization of agricul- 

 tural education, and this was a notable feature of the congress. The 

 deliberations of the congress brought out the fact that the need and 

 the difficulty of interesting the practical farmer in more advanced 

 and scientific methods are now being more clearly recognized in 

 Eun^pean countries than ever before. The European suiall farmer 

 has been so long bound by traditional methods and customs and class 

 distinctions that he lacks the initiative of the American farmer and 

 is hard to persuade to try new methods. The present need of i)opular 

 instruction in agriculture would therefore seem to be really greater 

 in Europe than in the United States. 



