334 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



iiiissioii of tlu' laiHl-jrrant colk'gt-r^, l)iit latluT an attciiijit t<i iiitcrprrl ludif fully and in 

 detail tliea<;t()f IStiL', regarding wiiicli there had been considerabU' misunderstanding. 



A round-table :liscnssion of short courses was participated in by nearly a dozen 

 speakers. Nearly all wei-e agreed tliat the short course should not be taken by 

 young students who might profitably i)ursue agricultural liigh scliool or college 

 courses and that no credits for degrees siiould l)e given for short-course work. H. H. 

 Goodell stated that at the ^Massachusetts Agricultural College short-course students 

 have taken agriculture, horticulture, bee culture, etc., in the regular college classes. 

 This plan was criticised by several, President Northrop laying special emphasis on 

 the desirability of keeping the short-course work outside of the circle of regular col- 

 lege work. He considered the short courses as ' 'charitable or benevolent appendages" 

 on the cftllege, allowable only when they will not <letract from the efficiency of the 

 regular college work. R. W. Stimson considered short courses as pioneer work- 

 more or less temporary expedients, for the purpose of extending the influence of the 

 college and of drawing students to the long courses. 



In the subsequent informal discussion the idea was advanced that young students 

 should go to agricultural high schools or colleges, and older students should get tlieir 

 instruction in farmers' institutes and like organizations. In opposition to this plan, 

 J. C. Hardy contended that there is a wide gap between the farmers' institute and 

 the agricultural high school, and that technical instruction of all grades should be 

 provided for, either in the agricultural colleges or in special schools organized for the 

 purpose. 



