XXviii STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Educational Labor. — It has been the endeavor to make all strictly educational 

 labor a part of class work, and make it necessary to the passing of the study of 

 horticulture. This labor is not "putting in practice the class-room lectures," but 

 is a supplement to those lectures. It is handling and experimenting with the 

 plants and appliances which are discussed in the lectures. So far as possible this 

 labor should precede the lecture. The student theti becomes familiar with the 

 object to be discussed, obtains a concrete notion about which he can group more 

 recondite principles. Let me illustrate by the practice of budding. This fall 

 all my students in horticulture, fifty-four in number, went through the oper- 

 ation of budding in. the field before the subject was discussed in class. They 

 were then prepared, without any preliminary class instruction, to understand 

 why we bud, upon what physiological principles the practice depends, and to 

 enter upon discussions of the influence of stock on bud and bud on stock. 

 Without understanding the art, the practice, it is well nigh impossible to 

 appreciate the science. Moreover, the art is first in importance and it should 

 be first acquired, even if at the expence of the science. No one can acquire 

 this art from a lecture. The student must perform the operation with his own 

 hands. A man never learned how to build an engine from lectures alone. In 

 general it is a waste of time and effort to lecture upon the art, the manual 

 operations of horticulture, for when the student finally undertakes the oper- 

 ations the same and more particular instructions must be given. I lectured 

 two days upon the practice of root grafting, whittling the stocks and scions 

 and making particular mention of all the minor movements of the operator. 

 The next day, however, when these students took the knives and materials 

 into their own hands, I was obliged repeat all my former instructions. In 

 other words I lost two lectures. Students could make much greater progress 

 in my class work if they were familiar with garden operations when they enter 

 the class. As it is, I am constantly beset and hindered by petty questions and 

 ignorances which should be overcome before class-work begins. The remedy 

 for this condition is to make work upon the farm obligatory to freshmen 

 instead of to sophomores, and upon the garden and grounds to sophomores 

 instead of to juniors. This change would also be a direct benefit to some of my 

 colleagues. There are three other important advantages to be derived from 

 such a system. First, students should be taught agriculture and horticulture 

 before their thoughts are bent upon other subjects. At present the student 

 receives no instruction in horticulture until he enters upon the second half of 

 his course. By that time he is likely to have formed preferences for other 

 subjects. Second, as the majority of our students leave college before the 

 opening of their junior year, they receive no instruction whatever in horti- 

 cultural matters. Most farmers' sons cannot afford to spend four years in 

 college, but they have a right to demand some horticultural instruction from 

 a half course at the college. The fact that most of our applied instruction occurs 

 in the latter hall of the course is no doubt an important reason why more 

 farmers' sons do not attend the college. Other colleges have made provisions 

 for those who cannot take the full courses. Third, the last two years would 

 then be at the disposal of the student as far as labor is concerned, allowing 

 him to pursue more particularly some special work. 



Educational labor in my departmont should embrace a wide range of sub- 

 jects. Some of these subjects are : management of hot-beds and forcing 

 houses, potting and handling plants, making and repairing various tools, 

 making mats for hot-beds, making cuttings, experimenting in cross-fertiliza- 



