254 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



The College was then so illy equipped with il- 

 lustrative material that it was necessary to take 

 students on such trips or they would have missed 

 valuable opportunities; for a considerable part of 

 an agricultural education consists in making com- 

 parisons, good and poor being only relative terms. 

 I am quite sure I was the first professor to adopt 

 this method of instruction but now it is common 

 enough in varied forms. 



My frequent absences from the college resulted 

 in my being criticised for neglecting my classes 

 the critics not knowing of my vacation agree- 

 ment. The fact is, things only went smoothly 

 when it was understood that I was really doing two 

 men's work, so I found it best to ask the Presi- 

 dent's permission if my absence was likely to ex- 

 tend beyond one day and later this became a rule 

 for the government of all instructors. Once, when 

 seeking permission from the President for a three 

 days' absence, he remarked wisely that it was a 

 good thing sometimes to give a class a rest so that 

 they might catch their breath and become normal. 



Before I came to Cornell the nursery firm of 

 Ellwanger & Barry, of Rochester, New York, 

 had offered to donate to the University a large 

 assortment of plants for an arboretum. Since the 



