UNIVERSITY EXTENSION 

 IN AGRICULTURE. 



CORNELL UNIVERSITY, 



College of Agriculture. 

 NOVEMBER, 1900. 



General Statement. 



The Farmers' Eeading-Conrse of tlie College of Agriculture of 

 Cornell University was organized four years ago. Our reading 

 circle of fifteen thousand farmers has been built up in that time. 

 We believe that the suggestive Lessons issued have been appreciated 

 and have done good work. We are led to this conclusion by the 

 testimony of the readers of the Lessons. We wish to retain all our 

 old readers and to add many new ones in order to make this Read- 

 ing-Course of still greater use to the farmer. This is legitimate 

 university extension. Farmers may not find it possible to come to 

 the University themselves, but they can co-operate by sending their 

 sons to the University, ])j helping in the formation of reading-clubs 

 and by bringing their farming difhculties to the members of the staff 

 of the College of Agriculture. If we cannot help you immediately, 

 we will ask your assistance in carrying on experiments designed to 

 solve your problems. The College of Agriculture will then attempt 

 to aid the farmer wdth direct advice and suggestive hints gathered 

 from its own experience and by direct experimentation on the 

 farmer's fields. Through this latter means the farmer and the 

 experimentalist are l^rought into close touch to their mutual 

 benefit. ,: 



Ground Covered Thus Far. 



The Readino^-Course thus far has dealt with three fundamental 

 things : The soil, the plant, the animal. A proper understanding 

 of the method of soil formation suggests the way in which its fer- 

 tihty is best maintained ; a knowledge of the way in which a plant 

 obtains its food from the soil and the air and elaborates it in the 

 leaves, emphasizes the desirability of preserving the latter from 

 insect and funguous attack, so that it may perform its life functions 

 in a proper manner; a knowledge of the principles of animal iiutri- 



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