EDITORIAL. 407 



fruit groAvers and cotton and meat producers. President Butterfield, 

 of the Massachusetts Agricuhural College, outlined the field of rural 

 sociology, shoAved the place of this subject in college courses and how- 

 such courses may be developed, and urged the importance of country- 

 life investigations and a campaign for rural progress. Professor 

 Spillman, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, told of the development 

 of inA'estigations in farm management in this Department and in the 

 colleges and stations, and pointed out the scope of farm management 

 as a subject of investigation and instruction. 



The rapid progress being made in the outlining of the scope of the 

 general subjects included in this course was definitely brought out 

 through the lectures and discussions. Since the hearers at this course 

 represented institutions in many States it is believed such a presenta- 

 tion of these subjects at the graduate school will do much to aid the 

 more definite establishment of work in these lines in colleges in vari- 

 ous piMcts of the country. This belief is strengthened by the fact that 

 those interested in farm-management investigations and teaching 

 formed an association to be known as the American Farm Manage- 

 ment Association, wdth W. J. Spillm.an, president; D. H. Otis, vice- 

 president, and G. F. Warren, secretary-treasurer. 



Another new and highly successful feature of this session was a 

 series of conferences on extension work. This work is rapidly devel- 

 oping in our agricultural colleges, but there is as j^et little consensus 

 of opinion regarding its field of operation and methods of organiza- 

 tion and procedure. It was therefore thought best to have a broad 

 survey of the field from different points of view. By such a presenta- 

 tion of the present status of the movement, together Avith some discus- 

 sion of many unsettled problems, it w^as hoped to pave the Avay for a 

 more definite and rational consideration of the subject in the agricul- 

 tural colleges generally. 



The discussion Avas opened by the presentation of the scope and 

 organization of uniA-ersity extension w-ork in general by Doctor Reber, 

 director of the extension Avork of the UniA-ersity of AVisconsin. Presi- 

 dent Sparks, of the Pennsylvania State College, formerly in charge 

 of extension Avork in the University of Chicago, continued the discus- 

 sion of this theme and in particular brought out and ansAvered some 

 of the objections to extension AA'ork as undertaken by the universities. 

 At the second conference Professor Hamilton, of this Office, outlined 

 the present status of extension AA'ork in agriculture in the United 

 States and European countries as regards financial support, organiza- 

 tion, and methods and kind of work. 



The sphere of agricultural extension w^ork Avas the theme of the 

 third conference. The discussion under this head was led by Presi- 

 dent Soule, of the College of Agriculture of the UniA-ersity of 



59393°=-No. 5—10 2 



