410 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. [Vol.35 



At the seminars, Mr. C. W. Thompson, of the Office of Markets and 

 Rural Organization, introduced the discussion of the community 

 survey and the community chib. Prof. John Phehm, of the Massa- 

 chusetts College, spoke on the human element in rural improvement, 

 and Dr. L. H. Bailey gave addresses on the characteristics and func- 

 tions of the editor and the coming range in the work of the agricul- 

 tural college. Dr. Bailey laid great emphasis on the need of 

 thoroughly trained, competent, and academically free teachers and 

 investigators, and deprecated what he considers the present tend- 

 ency to impose too formal and binding requirements on college 

 and station officers as exemplified in certain forms of so-called 

 " projects." Several members of the Massachusetts College also took 

 part in the seminars of this week. At the closing evening conference. 

 Prof. E. L. Morgan spoke on a Massachusetts achievement in rural 

 improvement, summing up what has been clone in that State in a 

 practical way in effecting local, county, and State organization for 

 the advancement of agriculture and country life. 



The Graduate School thus presented a well-rounded course, start- 

 ing with the question of the origin of living from nonliving matter 

 and dealing in order with the chemistry, physics, and biology of the 

 soil; the growth relations of plants and animals; the economic factors 

 of production, distribution, and marketing of farm products; and 

 finally, with the potentialities and possibilities of life in the open 

 country. The course recognized and emphasized the importance and 

 significance of thinking out rural life problems " from the soil to the 

 soul." The fundamental principles of common interest to all students 

 of scientific agriculture were emphasized rather than economic appli- 

 cations in specialized lines of industry, no attempt being made to deal 

 with any special line in a complete way. The course was especially 

 suggestive to investigators and should have been helpful to those 

 entering upon the work of investigation. Emphasis was constantly 

 placed, directly or by inference, upon the importance of dealing with 

 agricultural problems at first hand and of having accurate, live, first- 

 hand information for this purpose. This was most strikingly illus- 

 trated in the case of the discussion of questions of rural economics 

 and sociology. 



As regards the amount and high character of the work done, this 

 session of the Graduate School was fully as important and successful 

 as any which have preceded it. The local arrangements for the 

 school were very good, and the courses of instruction were loyally 

 supported and largely attended by the relatively large force now 

 employed by the Massachusetts College. The attendance from out- 

 side, however, while representing all sections of the United States, 

 was disappointingly small in the aggregate. 



