622 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



drainage, mulching, etc; together with the above are considered the 

 adaptability and construction of the different classes and. kinds 

 of machinery. 



The work in animal husbandry includes a critical study of the 

 different breeds of live stock, treating of the work of the prominent 

 improvers of stock, as Bakewell, Booth, Bates, Watson, etc; also 

 the care and management of stock, setting forth the good and the 

 bad points to be considered, the judging and grading of animals, 

 their feeding and nutrition qualities, their use to man and adapta- 

 bility to farm operations. In horticulture, are considered plant 

 propagation, budding, crossing, spraying of fruit and ornamental 

 trees, hybridization, use of fruits, care of trees, forestry considera- 

 tions, etc. In dairy work, the cow is considered as a highly special- 

 ized animal for the conversion of coarse feed into food forms for 

 man. The studies include milk secretion, separator processes, but- 

 ter and cheese making, dairy buildings, etc. Thus we see that many 

 branches of study are taken up. In any exhaustive study we may 

 call upon science to aid us. The better knowledge of the natural 

 sciences one may have, the better will he see the "why" of farming 

 operations. There is really no "science of agriculture." The day 

 of the book-farmer is past. Farming is a good common sense busi- 

 ness practice, and one on which a deal of hard work must be ex- 

 pended. Science merely aids the farmer, and if this aid produces 

 grain we Americans are all desirous of knowing about it. 



All of our boys cannot go to college, however; hence to reach this 

 class, agricultural instruction is being offered in many secondary 

 schools, including high schools, normal schools, academies, etc. It 

 is hoped by this means to create a greater desire for farming as a 

 business. Many boys now go to the city that might much better 

 stay in the country. Men are beginning, however, to see the advant- 

 ages of a country life, and we find people from the city now coming 

 to the country. The work in the secondary schools is in its infancy, 

 but we all hope to see it develop. There are many difficulties to 

 meet at present. First one is, that it is new, and the conservative 

 farmer is loth to take hold of it; second, there is a marked deficiency 

 in suitable text-books; and third, a lack of properly trained teachers. 

 But these difficulties are being remedied. The people are beginning 

 to favor the work, text-books are being published, and young men 

 in our agricultural colleges are preparing themselves as teachers. 



In some of the states, legislation has been brought to bear, and 

 many such schools are receiving state aid. In Wisconsin two coun- 

 ties have secondary agricultural schools, and at the last meeting 

 of the Legislature provision was made for the establishment of more 

 of these schools. In some parts of the country private schools are 

 taking up the work, and are meeting with marked success. In a 

 few rears, therefore, agricultural education in our secondarv and 

 public schools will not be uncommon, and it will result in much good. 



In your own high school a course has been established. For the 

 first year the work will, of necessity, be of an interest creating na- 

 ture. It is being carried on by means of lectures and text-book 

 instruction. As I have said, the text-books are at present not well 

 suited to the conditions, but with a certain amount of explanation 

 by the instructor, the pupils are, we hope, deriving some benefit. 

 An interest in the work is being shown. Even the girls show a 



