DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 37 



it has not been felt advisable to try to carry on a lecture course this 

 year. It is greatly to be regretted that the college is not able to give 

 its students the opportunity to hear some of the orators of national 

 reputation. 



The last Legislature, appreciating the great need of better library 

 and auditorium facilities, voted one hundred fifty thousand dollars for 

 the erection of such a building, but the Governor interposed his veto 

 and the measure, greath^ to our regret, failed. 



In addition to a library and auditorium the college should have at 

 once a gymnasium, an additional wing to the woman's building and 

 more dormitories. 



The financial needs of the college are not confined, however, to the 

 funds necessaiT to erect new buildings. There is a very strong call 

 now from the farmers of the state for more help from the college. 

 They ask for more institutes, more demonstration trains, more speakers 

 for meetings and for more help in various other ways. They are in- 

 sisting on more extension work on the part of the college. This move- 

 ment is quite general throughout the country and a number of states 

 have responded by making large appropriations for traveling schools 

 as well as for other forms of extension work. 



The college should meet the call from the farmers and inaugurate 

 as soon as the funds can be provided, a system- of traveling schools 

 which will carry to the farmers of each comity much of the practical in- 

 struction now given at the college to short course men. 



Our department of Agricultural Education has succeeded in having 

 fifteen high schools in the ^tate organize agricultural departments. 

 These departments are in charge of graduates from the college. The 

 work given is very helpful and is very much appreciated by the pa- 

 trons. A number of other schools will organize such departments next 

 year. 



There must, and will be, a great onward movement along all lines of 

 agricultural education within the next few years. The work has just 

 begun. The agricultural colleges and experiment stations must be the 

 leaders in this great movement. They should assume the leadership and 

 by aggressive effort maintain it. If they are not ready to meet the great 

 demands made upon them independent movements will spring into being 

 which though good in themselves will be much less effective than if di- 

 rected by a central organization. This college will need during the 

 next few years in order to meet the responsibilities placed upon it 

 greater financial support than it has received in the past. The college 

 has the confidence of the people of the state and it is believed that if 

 they realize the needs of the college, financial support will not be lack- 

 ing. 



For information concerning the work of the various departments of 

 the college, please consult the reports in the following pages. 



J. L. SNYDER, 



East Lansing, June 30, 1911. President. 



