EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XXVI. May, 1912. No. 7. 



The extent to which the graduates of the agricultural colleges en- 

 gage in farming has been a matter of frequent discussion ever since 

 the colleges were established, and has sometimes been taken as a 

 n^easure of the success of these institutions. Some recent studies give 

 a definite basis for considering this subject, and also point to an in- 

 creasing tendency to take up farming which has been apparent for 

 some time to those in close touch with the work of the colleges. As 

 this tendency is in accord with popular expectations, it is deserving 

 of notice, along with the broader conception of what the colleges 

 should do for the industry as a whole and for education. 



The Michigan Agricultural College, the oldest of these institutions, 

 has recently published a catalogue giving the name and occupation 

 of each of its living graduates. This presents some interesting facts, 

 both as to the past and to the present. From this catalogue it appears 

 that in the fifty years since the first class went out from the institu- 

 tion, 996 men have graduated from the four-year agricultural course 

 and that 877 of these are now living. 



Considering the fact that nearly one-half of these men graduated 

 before there was any other course than the agricultural, and before 

 agriculture was seriously considered among the scientific professions, 

 it is not surprising that a large number of them went into other than 

 agricultural pursuits; and yet over twenty-seven per cent of all the 

 graduates of the agincultural course are farmers. In addition, about 

 nine per cent are connected with agricultural colleges and experiment 

 stations, five per cent with the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, and twenty per cent are employed in other agricultural lines, 

 such as teaching agriculture and science in other colleges and schools, 

 editorial work in connection with agricultural journals, agricultural 

 work in foreign colleges and departments, landscape gardening, for- 

 estry, seed growing, agricultural chemistry, veterinary science, cheese 

 manufacturing, and other lines for which their agricultural training 

 was a direct preparation. 



Thus, over sixty per cent of the graduates from this course are 

 following lines of work in harmony with their college training. And 

 when we consider that it is only within the past twelve or fifteen 



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