LIVE STOCK BREEDERS. 171 



farming are, thought, observation and knowledge. So the six essentials 

 are energy, system, thought, observation, a knowledge of the principles 

 underlying agriculture and perseverance. Energy is possessed bv nearly 

 all farmers, and very few men go on the farm because they think farming 

 a "snap." While most of the farmers have energy, many are lacking in 

 system, but system is something that can be acquired and is essential for 

 the highest success. The farmer may eke out an existence without much 

 thought but there is probably no one who is paid better for thinking than 

 is the agriculturist. Observation is very important because it teaches the 

 farmer of the success and the failures of others. Surely everyone con- 

 siders a knowledge of the principles underlying agriculture essential 

 for the tiller of the soil. Having the other five requisites the farmer 

 should be persevering, as success in his profession is not attained in a few 

 days. 



Considering the young Missouri farmer to have energy and persever- 

 ance, where can he best get the other requisites of success? Certainly 

 at the Missouri Agricultural College. The student of agriculture is con- 

 tinually learning system from its being taught and from a study of the 

 sciences in the course. It must be remembered that the agricultural 

 course is a combination of sciences, and science is classified knowledge. 

 I believe that no one can graduate from the Missouri Agricultural Col- 

 lege without having a deep impression of the importance of system. 

 While our course may not be as good as some others to train thinkers it 

 certainly is toward the front along this line. No one can take lectures 

 under our enthusiastic professors and make a passing grade in our lab- 

 oratories without doing a great deal of thinking. When it comes to ob- 

 servation T think our course is far ahead of any course in the University. 

 The study of language is not to be compared to it. For example, I 

 was told by a student of one of the leading colleges in this state that the 

 Professor of Greek of that institution went out one morning to milk his 

 cow but could not find her. There was a cow in the lot, but she did 

 not belong to him. The professor walked all over the town hunt- 

 ing the stray animal but finally became discouraged and started home. 

 On the way he met a neighbor and asked him if he had seen the cow. The 

 neighbor replied, "Professor, your cow was in your lot when I left 

 home." The professor said there was a cow in the lot but she did not be- 

 long to him. On reaching home he walked upon the right side of the 

 strange animal and recognized her as his own. That morning was the 

 first time he had ever seen the left side of the cow although he had been 

 milking her for several years. I can assure you that at the Missouri Ag- 

 ricultural College we learn to look at both sides of a cow ; to watch the 

 rocks crumble into soil ; to study the rooting, branching and flowering 



