704 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 37 



It seems probable that the explanation for the great diflference 

 noted between agriculture and the mechanic arts needs be sought in 

 several directions. The unprecedented shortage of farm labor and 

 the emphasis placed on an adequate food supply as a war measure 

 doubtless kept many a boy on the farm, where his services could ill 

 be spared, and the fact that his college training was unfinished, or 

 even not begim, seemed much less important than his immediate 

 availability as a dependable labor unit. More of the mechanic arts 

 students, however, are recruited from the towns and cities, and while 

 the labor shortage afforded them unusual opportunities for lucrative 

 employment along industrial lines, they were often freer to follow 

 their inclinations and the temptation to drop out of college was less 

 keen because the opportunities were less closely associated with their 

 chosen professional work. I'he enormous demand for trained engi- 

 neers, chemists, and similar technically educated men was a strong 

 inducement to boys graduating from higli school to go to college and 

 prepare themsohos along those lines, while the limited field for half- 

 trained workers discouraged the abandonment of the courses already 

 bogim. In short the feeling, formerly well-nigh universal and never 

 entirely overcome, that thorough training is a necessity in the me- 

 chanic arts but less essential in agiiculture, very likely explains some 

 of the differences in relative enrollment. 



In general the remaining course> offered by the land-grant insti- 

 tutions showed losses greater than for the mechanic arts and smaller 

 than for agriculture, but there were many local variations. Even 

 the enrollment of women, wliether in home economics courses or in 

 colleges of liberal arts, showed a considerable decrease in many cases, 

 though this as a rule was less than the diminution of men and in 

 some cases there were slight gains. The number of women students 

 in agriculture continued to be too small for safe generalizations, but 

 gives little indication of any increasing trend in this direction. 



Analysis of the registration by classes revealed heavy losses at 

 every stage. As would be expected, the senior class was largely 

 effected, decreases of from 40 to 00 per cent being not uncommon. 

 Obviously this class contains more men of draft age than those below 

 it, and in many institutions men wiiji longer military training, hence 

 the call to the colors has been specially strong. Senior students also 

 possess the maximum of specialized agricidtural training and their 

 services areln great demand along these lines. While it is desirable 

 that the seniors should return and complete their work, particularly 

 since these students include some of the most mature and otherwise 

 promising material for development as teachers, investigators, and 

 extension workers, withdrawals seem in many instances inevitable 

 under the existing conditions. 



