89 



the problem is : Is it legitimate for the Territory that makes high demand upon 

 the college for education in mechanic arts to devote part of its funds to 

 instruction in the elements of mechanic arts? There is not in Arizona, and prob- 

 ably not in the other three Territories, a single institution that gives good sec- 

 ondary manual-training instruction. Yet there is great need of manual training 

 there. The pressure for instruction in the mechanic arts, mining, civil and 

 mechanical engineering, is almost irresistible in Arizona, and we are obliged to 

 in-epare for the entrance into the courses in mechanic arts c[\i'ite as much as for 

 the agricultural courses. 



E. Davenport. It seems to be assumed regarding instruction in agriculture 

 that it is a four-year course or a two-year course or a short course or nothing. 

 In my opinion the unit is too large. The farm boy wants instruction in a 

 particular subject; he is not thinking much about graduating, and when you 

 meet him at the door the first day with the proposition that he must choose 

 either a four-year course or two-year course or short course he is likely to take 

 the line of least resistance. A large proportion of the work of our universities 

 and colleges has to do primarily with students who do not graduate. For every 

 student who graduates about three or four do not. The influence of the college 

 and university system of this country is not exerted solely through its grad- 

 uates. It is through the great mass of students, many of whom do not comi»lete 

 the regular courses. Let us stop talking about four-year courses, therefore, 

 and fix the eye on the student. Let him take one or two or three years. Let 

 him get those things he wants, without regard to whether he graduates or not. 



Now, there is nuich elementary instruction in hitching up the team, in plow- 

 ing the field and getting in the crop, in feeding the pigs and getting the steers 

 to market, and the average student of IS coming to us from the farm is often 

 better prepared for college than the average high school graduate. It is an obli- 

 gation of these colleges to make a system of secondary education for the country 

 people. In Illinois we simply cut across all precedent and all lines of responsibil- 

 ity by saying to the boys on the farm, "Come to the university and choose the sub- 

 jects you wish to study. These are the things we undertake to teach in agri- 

 culture, about 80 of them ; if you want any of them, go ahead. If you can not 

 do business here you will go honie. But if you take those subjects you must 

 take certain other subjects ^^ ith them, and one of them is English. And if you 

 stay long you will take some science, because certain subjects require science." 

 Thi-ee-fourths of the boys that come from the farm have not had much educa- 

 tion, but they do well in the sciences. We had 20 students six years ago, and 

 now we have 340, taken just as they come. One-half of the work they do is 

 done in other departments of the university than that of agriculture — civil en- 

 gineering, English language, botany, history, chemistry, Greek and Latin, if 

 they want it^and the i)ercentage of failure on the part of our students is below 

 the average of the university ; the percentage of graduation as high. The 

 situation is much the same in all institutions. Three-fourths of the students 

 in all lines never graduate. 



We have a splendid preparation of a scholastic order for the city people, but 

 we have no sucji prepai-ation for the country people. Let us have a little better 

 preparatory course for the farmei", and stop talking about four-year courses 

 and about conditions for admissions, but bring the student to the college and let 

 him take up at once the subject he wishes to study. We are setting up too high 

 a standard for agricultural courses when we demand that if students will not 

 take the four-year course therefore they must take something peculiar and in- 

 ferior. If you confront them with such conditions you \^ill drive them out of 

 the agricultural courses. It is not done in other lines ; why do it in agricul- 

 ture? Identify the boy with his subject. We have seniors, juniors, sopho- 



