NOTES. 699 



way, the state department of education paying one-third of their salary and 

 the college of agriculture the remainder. 



Federation for Rural Progress. — The tenth annual meeting of this organization 

 was held at Boston, Mass., March 3. The day preceding the meeting was de- 

 voted to thirteen sectional meetings of the various rural activities represented, 

 such as the agricultural colleges and experiment stations, boards of agriculture, 

 agricultural associations, etc. 



The federation program was opened by an address by Dr. A. C. True, director 

 of the States Relations Service of this Department, entitled Fundamental Points 

 in the Relationship Between the Various Agricultural Agencies Receiving Aid 

 from Taxation. Dr. True explained the functions of the various agencies, 

 advocating that regulatory functions, collection of statistics and similar infor- 

 mation, and the promotion of fairs be conducted by the state boards of agri- 

 culture, the colleges confining themselves to the educational functions of teach- 

 ing, research, and extension work. He favored the establishment of strong state 

 departments of agriculture on somewhat the federal plan of oi'ganization, and 

 indei>endent of the governing board of the" colleges. 



Dr. True also called attention to the wide range of duties now being attempted 

 by many of the county agents. He believed that if their work is to be satisfac- 

 tory and efficient these offices must hold strictly to educational work, as " teach- 

 ers of practical truth and organizers of the farming people to receive and 

 practice such truth taught to them through demonstration methods." Clear 

 definition and differentiation of tlie functions of each of the various agricultural 

 agencies, so far as feasible, in statutes and administrative regulations, and the 

 cultivation and practice of the cooperative spirit and method, he deemed vital 

 to satisfactory relationships between the various public agencies. 



The functions of the experiment stations were further discussed by Director 

 C. D. Woods, of Maine, those of the extension service by Dii'ector W. D. Hurd, 

 of Massachusetts, and those of the state departments of agriculture by E. S. 

 Brigham, of Vermont. 



An afternoon session was devoted to a discussion of dairy problems with 

 addresses by F. Rasmussen, of New Hampshire, and others. A resolution 

 offered by President K. L. Butterfield was adopted, requesting the executive 

 committee to consider the advisability of inaugurating an educational campaign 

 in behalf of dairying. 



Officers were elected as follows : President, L. H. Healy, secretary of the 

 Connecticut Board of Agriculture ; vice-president, E. S. Brigham, commissioner 

 of agriculture of Vermont ; secretary-treasurer, J. A. McKibben, secretary of 

 the Boston Chamber of Conunerce ; executive committee. President Bvitterfield, 

 W. N. Cady of the Vermont State Grange, J. B. Abbott, state leader of the farm 

 bureau work in New Hampshire, C. O. Purrington, lecturer of the Maine State 

 Grange, Director B. L. Hartwell of the Rhode Island Station, and H. J. Baker, 

 director of the extension work in Connecticut. 



Graduate School of Agriculture. — The seventh session of the school is to open 

 at the Massachusetts Agricultural College July 3 and will close July 28. Among 

 the speakers at the formal opening exercises on July 5 are Dr. H. P. Armsby, 

 chairman of the committee on graduate study of the Association of American 

 Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations ; Dr. A. C. True, director of the 

 States Relations Service, who will serve as dean of the school; and President 

 K. L. Butterfield of the college. 



The courses will be arranged under the general headings of growth, agi'icul- 

 tural education, production, distribution, and rural organization and land 

 problems. In the course on growth the subjects to be considered are its 

 dynamics, elemental chemical .synthesis, organization or cellular entity, and 



