87 



culture Is not the only subject that varies. It strikes me that the same thing 

 is true to a certain extent witli tiic aiuonnt of animal industry, ajironomy. etc.. 

 in our four-year course in agricultui-c in various institutions. Some of the 

 men RracUiatinj; from our ft)ur-year courses in aj^'riculture are l>etter prepared 

 as chemists than they are in a,i,'ricultnre. or jjcrhaps. putting it more mildly. T 

 should say that they are etpially as \v«'ll jtrepared in chemistry as ajrricnlture. 

 The same thiui,' may he said of many other subjects, according;: to the institution 

 in (juestion. 



A STAN'DAKll AGKK'ULTUKAL COUKSK." 



After a close study of all the courses the following is offered for your con- 

 sideration : The atrricnltural course offeivd l)y the committee on methods of 

 teaching; ajiriculture of this association is a strong course, and it represents a 

 feature of development in agricultural education. lUit it is primarily a course 

 for grain-growing and .stock-raising agric(Utin-al men. Now, it seems to me 

 that what we want to get at in our various institutions touching agricultiu-(> is 

 fundamental or foundation work in botany, chemistry, physics, geology, and 

 /oology as ]»ure sciences. It seems to me we ought to give some sort of idea 

 as to the amount of these finidamentals that should be i-eiiuii-ed by every agri- 

 cultural institution in the country. I do not see why we can not agree as to a 

 standard in this resi)ect. It is not my purpose. l»y any nu'ans, to give more 

 chemistry than is desired, or any other pure science than is desired by scientifie 

 men generally, but to propose a standard which all men should come up to. 



As far as an examination of catalogues will show, none of the agricultural 

 colleges is following out the excellent schedule offered by the standing connuittee 

 of this association. For instance, horticulture is not given ISO hours in the 

 senior year, as reconnnended in this schedule. It begins in New York in the 

 junior year, in Illinois in the freshman year, in California in the jiniior year, 

 in Michigan in the soi)homore year, in I'ennsylvania in the sophomore year, in 

 Missouri in the freshman year, in Massachusetts in the sophomore yt-ar. in 

 Ohio in the junior year, in Xew Hampshire in the freshman year. In order to 

 give the instructors in horticulture, forestry, veterinary science, dairying, ento- 

 mology, etc.. a fair chance to interest students in these particular features the 

 electives should come earlier in the courses than the senior year. Instead of 

 allowing the instructors in dairying to give the student 70 hcmrs in the senior 

 year, as re(iuired. we are giving him an opportunity to get in touch with the 

 men with fewer hours in the junior year, so th:it they can develop that phase 

 of work later if they care to. I believe in the postgraduate coui-ses. On 

 the other hand, the great majority of these men graduate^ in the four-year 

 course, and they will not take the time and perhaps can not affoi-d t(» take a 

 postgraduate course. They should therefore have some opportunity for special- 

 izing before griiduating in this four-year course. If the elementary sciences are 

 jiut in the fcn-epart of the elementary course, and the standard reiiuirements of 

 .■ipplied sciences in agriculture brought in by the end of the junior year, then 

 we could give the student a right to select his own occui)ation and let him work 

 out his problem for himself. The course here offered is founded on that 

 assumption. 



a By the chairman of the committee only. 



