586 BOARD or AGRICULTURE. 



knowledge iu the books, and not alone practice in the field, but both. 

 Head and hands must be developed together. Only when practice is thus 

 joined to the science can the highest results be attained. 



What can the farmer get from books? What should science teach 

 him? Not facts alone, for in themselves they are worth but little. We 

 memorize them and then forget them. Moreover, we tire of them and 

 facts awaken in us no interest nor enthusiasm, and they often create dis- 

 like where should be delight and pleasure. No, science and the books 

 should give us principles and we should then learn how to apply them. 

 We should learn why we till; why we prune; how plants feed; the laws of 

 plant and animal breeding; the influence of climate, of environment, the 

 evolution of plants and animals. Give dignity and respect to agriculture 

 by making it a science. Let the scientific spirit permeate our occupa- 

 tion. 



Such training in agriculture should make a man more of a man; 

 should deepen and broaden his intellect; should open his eyes; should en- 

 kindle enthusiasm; should teach habits of thought, of observation and in- 

 vestigation; it should give him greater mental stature, for the mind, like 

 the body, grows with exercise. It should make him more accurate in his 

 .iudgment, more cautious iu generalization, more self-reliant, and more 

 alert and fruitful iil his investigations. 



Coming to agriculture as an art, we find that many take the wrong 

 view. They consider the best training in agriculture to be apprentice 

 work. Now, apprenticeship, so the great teacher tells us, does not truly 

 educate a man. The master says, "do so and so; the rule is such and 

 such; believe and ask no questions." This begets an attitude of submis- 

 sion to dogmatic teaching. It puts rule, authority, and personal experience 

 ahead of inquiry, reason and science. The apprentice is not often a stu- 

 dent, and he is apt to be narrow, opinionated, selfish, uuprogi-essive and to 

 lack self-reliance. The apprentice seldom learns how to use time well. 

 He works his ten hours; after supper he lights his pipe and goes to 

 town. He throws away golden hours that the true student would spend 

 with books and plants. 



No, the training in agriculture should not be that which the apprentice 

 gets. It should be such that mind and hand are trained. It is well said 

 that "The man who relies solely on his hands is a beast of burden." We 

 should expect that the apprentice could set more grafts, plow more 

 acres, cut more grain, and turn a straighter furrow, but we should want 

 a well trained man to manage a farm. No, mere skill with the hands 

 is not the great thing in agricultural education. It is of far less im- 

 portance than inspiration, interest, enthusiasm and the will to work. 



I have not yet specifically mentioned the opportunities for men trained 

 for agricultural work. Now, shall I do so? Opportunities Innumerable 

 lie along the lines in which we are now making progress, and which 

 we have discussed somewhat. Agriculture is growing through the work 



