UNIVERSITY EXTENSION AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY, 



ITHACA, N. Y. 



Condensed Report of Address by John Craig, Cor- 

 nell University, Ithaca, N. Y., before Horticul- 

 tural Section of Association of Agricultural Col- 

 lege and Experiment Stations, New Haven, 

 Conn.. Nov. 13, 1900. 



'HP2 University Extension movement 

 is not new in Arts and Letters. 

 It is, however, decidedly new in 



?^J agriculture. I do not at this time 

 intend to g'ive you anything like a complete 

 review of the rise and development of this 

 new feature in agricultural education, but 

 will rather sketch briefly the history of its 

 growth in New York ^tate. 



The Beginning. — Agricultural Extension 

 in New York stands unique among educa- 

 tional movements, in that it had its begin- 

 ning with the farmer. The farmer furnished 

 the raison d' etre. In 1893 there was a re- 

 quest made to the College of Agriculture, by 

 a group of farmers in Chautauqua County, 

 for certain investigations and experiments 

 in that region. This is the acknowledged 

 grape growing section of New York, and as 

 is common in all regions where agricultural 

 specialities are practiced, particular difficul- 

 ties had arisen. The farmers sensibly ap- 

 plied to the Experiment Station for help. 

 At that time there was no money available 

 at the Station to cover the expenses of work 

 of this kind. The farmers were so informed. 

 They were resourceful men and not easily 

 discouraged. They laid their case before 

 the committee on agriculture of the State 

 Legislature, and obtained a special grant 

 for the purpose of carrying on work of this 

 character in their own and adjoining coun- 

 ties. This was known as the Nixon Bill for 

 the extension of agricultural information. 

 The money was placed in the hands of the 

 College of Agriculture, and was adminis- 

 tered at first by the department of Horticul- 

 ture. The ir,o\cmcnt <ricvv- and flourished. 



The money was used for investigational 

 purposes, as well as for conducting horti- 

 cultural schools ; experiments were con- 

 ducted in regions where there seemed to be 

 special reasons for instituting them. This 

 was in 1895. In 1896 the work broadened 

 into a great general movement, having for 

 its object the improvement of the farmers 

 position. Each year the scope of the work 

 has widened. The grant has been increased 

 by the State until it has reached the sum oS. 

 $25,000 per annum. 



The College of Agriculture has now es- 

 tablished a department of University Exten- 

 sion. The work of this department divides 

 itself into two sections, (i) The farmer and 

 his fields. (2) The rising generation, {a) 

 The main feature of the first division is the 

 Farmers' Reading Course. This is the cen- 

 tral theme around which various lines oi 

 work are grouped. The farmer cannot 

 come to college. Neither has he had time 

 or opportunity to become a scientific obser- 

 ver. Reading lessons upon fundamental 

 subjects are distributed at intervals during 

 the farmers' reading season — the winter. 

 These lessons deal in a concise and clear 

 manner with the main principles underlying 

 a successful agriculture. They are accom- 

 panied by quizzes, which are to be answered 

 and returned. The object is to assist farmers 

 in thinking out scientific problems by them- 

 selves. In the lesson a problem is set, and 

 a solution suggested. {b) Experimental 

 work. It is our aim to make the lessons of 

 such a character that the reading and studv- 

 ing of them will suggest possible experi- 

 ments on the farmers' fields. It is then our 

 pleasure to assist the farmer in planning and 

 carrying out these experiments. In this 

 way the farmer becomes at once an import- 

 ant co-operator, and an assistant to the Col- 



