110 



offices, newspapers, former students, and prospective students, and others inter- 

 ested within the territory to l)e covered by the excursion. As one railroad has a 

 brancli leading to the college, these excursion trains are run into the campus. 

 'We send student guides in uniforjii out 20 or '.'>*) miles to meet the trains and 

 distribute little maps of the college grounds with specific information as to what 

 can be seen in each building, l^.uildings are placarded and numbered. There 

 are also on the campus a nunii)er of students in uniform ready to show people 

 about. A number of wagons carry visitors through the experimental i)lats and 

 orchards. Every department of the college is open with one or more persons in 

 charge. Sideshows, agents, and fakirs are not permitted on the campus. Meals 

 are furnished on the grounds at reasonable cost, but the visitors bring baskets 

 of food with them and eat from the tables provided under the beautiful shade 

 trees. These excursions ai'e patronized almost exclusively by farmers and their 

 families. Many of them return each year with the annual excursion and always 

 seem to be nuich interested. Al)out S,0()0 i>eople annually visit the college on 

 these occasions. Tlie excursions are of no expense to the college except the 

 small sum paid out for guide.^ and a little printed matter and postage. Many 

 students who expect to enter take advantage of these excursions to visit the col- 

 lege and make arrangements for rooms and board. 



Soon after the fall term opens arrangements are made to advertise the short 

 courses given during the winter. Names are gathered from the farmers' organi- 

 zations, institute workers, census enumerators, crop reporters, creameries, cheese 

 factories, and old students. The November bulletin gives an outline of the 

 short courses and all information desired by those wishing to enter. Ten thou- 

 sand copies are distributed for this purpose. Special editions of the college 

 paper are also mailed to prosjiective short-course students. These special 

 courses are also advertised in the agricultural papers of the State for one or 

 two months during the fall. The long courses, during the summer months, are 

 advertised in the religious papers of the State. 



Occasionally special measures are taken to advertise the institution. Recently 

 -00 Junior Annuals were sent to as many of the best high school libraries 

 throughout the State. Last year our department of entomology sent to each of 

 our leading high schools a box of specimen insects valued at !^10. The endeavor 

 is to do systematic, careful, conservative advertising. No particular subject or 

 department is boomed at the expense of others ; no member of the faculty is 

 given an opportunity to boost himself and his department unduly. All endeavor 

 to worlv- together for the upbuilding of the institution. We work in har- 

 mony with the other institutions of the State. We are within the shadow of 

 one of the great universities of the country, having at present in its campus 

 over 4,000 students. This greatly increases the ditticulty of securing students, 

 yet we have all and even more than we can take care of properly with our 

 present equipment. We hold strictly to the technical idea. Every male student 

 is required to take either agriculture or engineering. We do not offer literary, 

 classical, or general science courses. We advise students desiring such work to 

 attend some other institution. 



We try to show in our work and in our advertising that we have faith in agri- 

 culture and in agricultural education. We plead for a higher ideal and a 

 higher life for the tillers of the soil. We believe that this uplift will only come 

 through education. 



There is one line of work not touched upon in this paper which would 

 undoubtedly do much to arouse intei'est in agricultural education — namely, that 

 of the teaching of nature study or elementary agriculture in our public schools. 

 The experiences so far in this direction are not very encouraging. It will take a 

 long time to make elementary agriculture or nature study a component part of 

 public school work. It calls for a class of instruction which is far beyond the 

 ordinary teacher of a public school. The time may come, however, when 

 teachers for this work will, be thoroughly trained and will be able to arouse 

 interest in students such as will prompt them to attend the higher institutions 

 of technical training. 



What can and should lie done to further agricultural education? 



(1) Make our agricultural schools and colleges such as to draw the young 

 l)eople from the farm. 



(2) Encourage and assist in the introduction of elementary agriculture into 

 our district schools. 



(3) Encourage the establishing of country high schools in which the teaching 

 of agriculture will be a prominent factor. 



