452 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



Jf also, as oft asserted, that llic coniiliy homes must act as a filter to 

 ]»mifV (lie coniijitiiiu indneiiccs of \illa;i(s and cities, and if the farmers 

 of this land must ad as the wise, cunscrNative judjic in the fiual adjust- 

 ment and settlement of great public (\uestions, to the end that justice and 

 lijiht will prevail, then the work of this and like institutions is of great- 

 est importanc(\ and thus not only I he scicniilic and successful cultiva- 

 tion of fields are iu\'olved, but a broad and Ihorouiih training of the boys 

 and girls of the farm is demanded, that they may be competent to act 

 Mell their part when they assume the duties of adixc citizens and parts 

 of society. 



As conditions change, so should these parts of college work, which 

 are intended to exercise an inlluencing care over the methods of the 

 people in whose interests the College is established, or soon the people and 

 The college arc (^strangcd, with the institution of learning following in- 

 js'tead of leading, a c(»ndi1ion the reverse of which should be. The people 

 cannot and will not stand still. They read, think and see, and from these 

 they conclude and act. To the end that conclusions and actions on the 

 part of the farm ]»(^oj>le of )ui- ^'tati' maj be ilong ui form and sympa- 

 thetic lines, those who have charge of our .Vgricultnral College have 

 a duty to perform. These words are not spoken to criticise, but to warn. 

 It can be fjlainly seen from the trend of events that selfishness is inclined 

 to govern men in support of the ])articular int(^rest in which they are 

 engaged, and thus a supremacy of interest is inclined to be the goal 

 of ambition, which condition should call us as farmers to look well for 

 our own. 



The Agricultural ('ollege should not only teach advanced principles in 

 gardening, orcharding, crop and stock raising, but it must, through its 

 extra o[)portunities and high position, stand by the general interests of 

 agriculture and its devotees, and su])j)ort and encourage them from the 

 material and social standpoint. In a large degree the rise or decline 

 of agriculture and its people in all their varied interests and welfare 

 should be, and are, in the hands of this and the other agricultural col- 

 leges of our country. Standing as they are at the head of this great 

 interest as the men at the wheel, the rocks and shoals that wi-eck and 

 bring discouragement and despair should be pointed out and shunned. 

 I ie])eat that it is not enough to understand the art of plowing, sowing, 

 culti\'ating and harvesting, for as essential as are all these the successful 

 result of them all is in encouraging and maintaining a high social and 

 intiuential standing, commensuiate with the im])ortance of agriculttire 

 when compared with other interests. These and none other are the suc- 

 cessful results of labor and life u]>on the farm. 



In this great work the farmer himself has also a duty to perform. He 

 must assume an anxious, willing and supporting attitude toward the 

 College. He must be in fri(^ndshi]) and close communion with its work, 

 and he must also be ready and willing to defend it against attacks and 

 unfriendly criticisms, such as would injure or are intended to destroy. 



One of the greatest and most efficient aids to the College in its work of 

 the future is organizati<m among the farmers, where the interests of 

 agriculture and its people may be considered and kept before them, and 

 sentiment crystalized in favor of the College to the end of liberal sup- 

 port. 



