LIFE AND WORK AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY 197 



hands and a higher remuneration ; nor would they 

 acknowledge that since they made their choice they 

 have seldom pined for the sound of the cowbell, 

 the bleating of those lovely lambs or the raucous 

 refrain of long-nosed, hungry Jersey Red pigs. 

 " They might mow grass but they won't ! " 

 The students in agriculture being few, the farm 

 was of necessity my chief reliance in building up 

 the reputation of the department and I determined 

 that it should be creditable to the University. At 

 that time the Trustees had not much interest in the 

 farm and did not know enough about it to appre- 

 ciate my difficulties. Many years afterwards, be- 

 fore my connection with the University ceased, a 

 Trustee was appointed to look over the farm and 

 make a report upon it. The report was honest, 

 thorough and highly commendatory and so at last 

 after twenty-five years, my work received the 

 recognition which its difficulties deserved. But 

 during all that intermediate time, the business men 

 who principally constituted the Board of Trustees 

 did not realize its importance nor the stupendous 

 results which were certain to come from intelligent 

 effort. Of necessity the initial undertakings were 

 very small; and the Agricultural Department 

 shared the contempt heaped upon the University 



