53 



Mr. Clinton, of Connecticut, cantionoil against putting too much dependence 

 in illustration. "Some of tbe poorest lectures I have heard at farmers' insti- 

 tutes hav(> been most fully illustrated with lantern slides, and I fear that one 

 trouhle the lecturers may get into is the mistake of thinking that the lantern 

 slides will carry them through, instead of depending upon the merit of the 

 lecture itself." 



Mr. Amoss, of Maryland, stated that he had tried nearly all the suggestions 

 made by Mr. Hamilton and had found some ai»plicahle to one section of Mary- 

 land and some to another, the different sections differing very much. '* I suppose 

 that holds good with all the States. Some States can adopt one or more or all, 

 and some will have to follow ways of their own." 



THE RELATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE TO FARMERS' 



INSTITUTE WORK. 



Frank H. Hall, of Illinois. The principal function of the experiment station 

 is discovery. The principal function of the agricultural college, the high school, 

 the district school, and the farmers' institute is dissemination. 



The agricultural college looks to the exix'riment station and to the investiga- 

 tors of all ages for its facts and theories. With these as educative material it 

 attempts to prepare students for every Aocatlon that is closely related to suc- 

 cessful soil culture and rural home making. 



The agricultural college may and should prepare some of its students for each 

 of the following lines of work : 



(1) As teachers in the college itself. 



(2) As investigators at the experiment station and elsewhere. 



(3) As teachers in the high schools and in the normal schools. 



(4) As managers of enterprises in which thorough technical knowledge of 

 soils, plants, and animal husbandry is reciuired. 



(.j) As speakers at institutes and as leaders in spreading the gospel of a 

 better agriculture. 



It may also prepare men for actual work on the farms, .-ind women for house- 

 hold duties; but under itresent conditions this part of the held must lie mainly 

 occujiied by the agricultural schools, the "short course" schools, the high 

 schools, the conmion .school.s, and the farmers' institute. 



The agricultui-al college as a purveyor of knowledge looks to the experiment 

 station for a large part of its supplies, and for its work of dissemination it must 

 have its hand on all the lower schools as well as upon the fanners' institute. 



Educational i)rogress is usually from the top downward. The college deter- 

 mines the course of study for the high schools, academies, and the normal 

 schools. These in turn give form and content to the instruction in the common 

 schools. The college of fifty years ago, with its classical course called "broad 

 and general," but really narrow and specihc-. made Latin, (ireek, and mathe- 

 matics the principal studies of the academies and high schools. When science 

 secured a place in the college course coordinate with the classics immediately 

 science was given a pla< e in the high schools and later, in a small way. in the 

 grades. Now that the agricultural college has secured for itself a place in the 

 university, coordinate with the other colleges, it must — it will' — make itself felt 

 in the high schools. It is important above measure that the elements of agri- 

 cultiu-al science should be given a place in the conmion school curriculum; but 

 any attempt to force such a change without tirst according it a place in the high 

 school and in the norma T school will he in the main abortive. The high schools 

 and the normal schools prepare teachers for the common schools. Teachers who 



