4C0 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



knows more about the manual operations of farm work tlian the profes- 

 sor of agriculture." Just here lies the difficulty. Students very .soon 

 "size up" their teacher, and no failing are they .so slow to condone as in- 

 competency. It is not difficult to see how any department in a college 

 will prove a " farce and a humbug," when its professor knows less than his 

 students. The fact is, the professor in Agriculrure, like the professor in 

 geology, should know well all the sciences. And more, he should know 

 thoroughly all the most approved methods of farm management and 

 manipulation, and should be a mechanical genius, so as to readily see the 

 principles underlying farm machinery. Such an one will have no trouble 

 to interest his pupils. 



The writer quoted speaks of the time spent in manual operations 

 as wasted. We have had professors at this college from many of the 

 colleges of the country, and they invariably report as good class-room 

 work here as anywhere ; yet our students are employed in manual labor 

 three hours a day. The fact is, the students need that much exercise. 

 Here all get it. In other schools some get none, while others engage in 

 athletic sports and often work so hard as to utterly ruin their physical 

 strength. Is it not better for the student to have this regular employ- 

 ment, and to work off the greater part of the surplus physical energy in 

 some wholesome, useful labor ? We have found it so here decidedly. 



The writer says: " College catalogues are full of nonsense about 

 dignifying labor." I have yet to see such a. catalogue ; yet I supposed I 

 was pretty familiar with these documents. But why " nonsense .-' " I 

 say, it is manly to labor with the hands, as well as with the brain. All 

 useful labor is praiseworthy ; but let a student work four years during 

 the most impressible part of his life solely with his brain, with not a 

 .stroke of manual labor, and it is nonsense to ever expect him to take to 

 it naturally after graduating. 



Fifty per cent, of our graduates have gone into manual labor pur- 

 suits — mostly on to farms. Why this unique experience .-' I believe, it 

 comes from our labor system ; in truth, I feel sure it is this. I say, dig- 

 nify both brain labor and hand labor. Those colleges that regard the 

 one only, have not made farmers. 



The writer says, that the manual dexterity is easily gained. Then 

 why does the professor remain more ignorant than the green freshman .'' 

 But I think he is wrong. There are manual methods and manual meth- 

 ods. Every farm community shows most graphically the need of better 

 training among our farmers in just this matter of manual dexterity. 



It is stated, again, that hard manual labor in the afternoon is poor 

 preparation for study at night. Our experience. contradicts this in toto. 



