6 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Ill other words, iio <^atIior.s littlo of the real spii-it of investigation 

 or of the scientific method in settling questions. In the past many 

 of the graduates have left the course with much the same feeling that 

 the farmer has — that practical trials and simple experiments under 

 conditions which imitate practice will be sufficient to determine the 

 best methods and furnish rules for farming. Beyond this they have 

 not had impressed upon them the needs of agriculture in a broad 

 and more fundamental sense. 



If one of the main objects of the college education is to teach cor- 

 rect ideas of values, it would seem that this should be extended to 

 the subject which touches the agricultural student most closely. The 

 work of the stations furnishes a great variety of material for such 

 instruction, and it might with advantage be made a part of the re- 

 quired course. Agricultural education is not complete unless it 

 teaches the student the meaning of experiment station work — the 

 significance of investigation as well as of the more immediately prac- 

 tical experiments, and enables him to use the results intelligently and 

 with some discrimination. 



The experiment station is one of the fields open to the graduate in 

 agriculture. In the past it has looked to the agricultural college as 

 the source from which to recruit its forces. The station investigator 

 should be the highest product of the agricultural course, and as such 

 may be accorded some special attention in its courses. This does not 

 minimize the position of the farmer graduate, or the man who has 

 gained a new touch wdth nature through its course, or the agricultural 

 editor whose effort is to lead agricultural thought. But the discov- 

 erer of truth, the man wdio is adding to the store of knowdedge, 

 is furnishing the stock in trade of the farmer, the writer, and the 

 teacher. He stands at the head of the sj^stem, indispensable to further 

 progress, and marking the highest stage in the application of his 

 education. He is therefore Avorthy of special care in his training, 

 for potentially he represents the highest tj^pe of product. 



Formerly when there were only a few State stations the encourage- 

 ment to young men to spend time and money preparing for a career 

 in that field was quite restricted. The conception of the need of 

 special preparation has rested with the stations, and not until they 

 demanded it and made it a condition of apiDointment was provision 

 made to meet it. Now the colleges are establishing graduate courses 

 and giving more attention to advanced study. Wliether or not they 

 will be able to turn out men wdth the highest type of preparation is 

 a vital question. 



The opportunity for a career in station work is now at hand. The 

 stations in the development of their work have furnished the incentive 

 to young men to prepare themselves thoroughly for this field. The 

 grade of work is steadily advancing throughout the country. The 



