INDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 589 



them work with plants, digging the gi'ound. etc. That young man is a 

 good Christian young man, but the training that he had in an agri- 

 cultural college, in the horticultural department, is the thing that gives 

 him the power to influence the boys. I want to say here also that a 

 number of reformatories for women are finding that if they want to do 

 the bad women any good they must get them out of doors away from 

 the prison walls, out in the fields, and they are taking them out in the 

 fields and letting them dig with their hands. There have been calls again 

 for women to take charge of such as these. So you can see how this 

 education touches all phases of life and is a refining principle. That is 

 an important thing. 



I want to speak of securing positions. I know a number of places 

 where women with training can take positions as supervisors. These 

 positions are open for trained men and women. 



Mr. Williams: I would like to ask one question. I would like to know 

 what the direct infiuence of the agricultural colleges are upon the general 

 agriculture of the country, both directly and through agricultural papers 

 or bulletins. How much benefit are we deriving from them when we 

 are not directly connected with colleges? 



Prof. Hedrick: This is a hard question to answer. It is my opinion 

 that the agricultural colleges have been the chief factor for the last fifty 

 years in the wonderful progress that agriculture has made. That Is about 

 as near as I can answer the question. Think of the books that have been 

 written, experiments that have been carried on and the work that has 

 been done in the departments of agriculture— all along progressive lines— 

 and it has been done by men educated in agricultural colleges. I think 

 you will say that my statement is not too broad. I believe the work done 

 by the agricultural colleges is the strongest force that is moving agri- 

 culture forward at the present time. There are many things that I might 

 mention here, but time will not permit. 



Mr. Williams: To what extent are these agricultural teachings per- 

 meating the country? 



Prof. Hedrick: I am sure agricultural education is finding lodgment 

 in every nook and corner of the land. In one way or another It reaches 

 almost every farmer in the land, if not every farmer. 



Prof. Van Norman: I want to say another word on this question. 

 Of course we always discuss the father';, place and the boys' and girls' 

 place, and that is the way with you people. I want to say this, leaving 

 out for the moment the experiment station side of it There was a 

 young man graduated in the college just before I did, and he went back 

 to the farm. He came back to the college one day and the professors 

 asked him how he was getting along. He said that b© was getting along 



