246 REPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



There is also great need of the institution of more studies wliich 

 will seek to determine causes and general principles or which Avill 

 have for their aim the improvement of methods and apparatus. 



In agricultural education much remains to be done to perfect the 

 pedagogic form of courses of instruction, to devise better methods of 

 instruction, and to prepare suitable apparatus, text-books, manuals, 

 and illustrative material. In such subjects as rural engineering and 

 rural economics and sociology' almost the whole pedagogic system 

 remains to be worked out. 



This graduate school seeks to impart a helpful stimulus to the 

 whole movement for agi'icultural education and research. ^Vhile 

 systematic courses of instruction can not be given, the meeting 

 together for a month of a considerable number of our leading and 

 mature agricultural investigators, teachers, and experts with the 

 most active college and station Avorkers of the rising generation 

 gives an unequaled opportunity for the formal and informal discus- 

 sion of the principles and methods of work in agricultural science, as 

 well as of the ways and means for promoting the general cause of 

 agricultural education. Our experience at Columbus shows that 

 the waves of thought and action set in motion at the gi'aduate school 

 go out in ever widening circles and usefull}" agitate even the outer- 

 most boundaries of our great and growing system of agricultural 

 bureaus, experiment stations, colleges, and schools. 



The second session of this school is held under most auspicious 

 circumstances. Not only is the local environment delightful and 

 inspiring but the conditions prevailing in the great industry on 

 whose behalf our efforts are made are also ver}" encouraging. Ameri- 

 can agriculture is enjoying unprecedented prosperity, and under com- 

 petent leadership this prosperity bids fair to be permanent. Bright 

 and capable men are awakening to the fact that in agriculture is to 

 be found (1) the best chance for individual initiative in business 

 and (2) a good opportunity for the profitable use of capital on a rea- 

 sonably large scale. High land values require better business methods 

 and more intelligent and scientific practice. The relative scarcity of 

 farm labor is compelling landowners to study more carefully the best 

 methods of utilizing tlieir land. Increase in farm values is producing 

 great hiterest in the reclamation of land b}^ irrigation, drainage, and 

 better tillage. Public interest is more widespread than ever before 

 in plans for the betterment of agricultural conditions, the proper 

 adjustment of population to the land, and hygienic methods of pre- 

 paring food supplies for consumption. 



There is on all sides a growing sense of the importance to the public 

 health and welfare of the preservation of our forests, the utilization 

 of our deserts, the drainage of our swamps, the maintaining of high 

 productiveness of our arable lands, the cleaning and adornment of 



