172 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



systems of plants ; to study the habits of insects. In fact the student ha? 

 his power of observation so trained that he learns something from nearly 

 everyone he meets or from nearly everything he sees. As he rides through 

 a district he can see the mistakes of others and profit thereby, and he can 

 also get many valuable points in agriculture. Observation is not only 

 profitable but furnishes a great deal of pleasure, and country life need not 

 be dull to any one who is a close observer of nature. 



The next thing to consider is the knowledge of the principles of agri- 

 culture. It is very important for the farmer to understand the natural 

 laws which govern agriculture and these are taught well at the Missouri 

 University. In agronomy the student is taught how to cultivate the soil 

 so as to save moisture and how to maintain the fertility of the land, and 

 also many other things that relate to soils and crops. The student, in 

 the shops, learns to use carpenter's and blacksmith's tools, and in drawing 

 he learns the use of drawing instruments. In dairying he takes up the 

 testing and handling of milk and cream and the making of butter and 

 cheese. In horticulture the student is taught the propagation of plants 

 and the locating, cultivating and care of orchards. Stock breeding and 

 animal husbandry explains themselves. Stock feeding treats of the com- 

 position and digestibility of foods, and of their comparative value and 

 of the computing of rations. In entomology the student is taught the 

 habits and names of the most important insects, and the methods of de- 

 stroying those that are injurious. Agricultural Engineering treats of 

 the farm drainage, of the construction of farm buildings, etc. Agricul- 

 tural Chemistry shows the relation of chemistry to agriculture. In vet- 

 erinary work a short course in comparative anatomy is given which is 

 followed by clinical work and lectures on the treatment of diseases of 

 domestic animals. Botany, Physics, Chemistry, Geology and English are 

 the same as given to the students of other courses. 



In addition to the work named the student must take advanced work 

 in some of these subjects and also take some work in some of the other 

 departments of the University. I believe that ajl students that complete 

 the four years' course in agriculture think their time well spent. Many 

 cannot take the long course and for these short courses have been ar- 

 ranged. One of these courses is in horticulture, one in soils and crops, 

 another in dairying, and still another in animal husbandry. Tlie short 

 courses last twelve weeks and during this time the student spends six 

 days a week in attending lectures and working in laboratories and in the 

 orchard. During the last three years I have been acquainted with many 

 of the short course students and I have never found one yet but what was 

 well pleased with the course. There are also summer courses in agricul- 

 ture and horticulture which are said to be very popular with the summer 

 course students. 



