188 CHAPTERS IN RURAL PROGRESS 



ideals of the old educational regime. Since 

 1890, however, there has been a complete change 

 of sentiment in this respect, particularly in the 

 Middle West. There the * ' land-grant ' ' colleges, 

 whether separate colleges or whether organized 

 as colleges of state universities, are securing 

 magnificent buildings for agriculture, are offer- 

 ing fully equipped courses, and are enrolling 

 as students some of the best men in college, 

 whom they are educating not only for agricul- 

 tural teachers and experimenters but also for 

 practical farmers. Of course, there are many 

 grave problems connected with this subject, 

 many farmers who do not yet respond to the call 

 for educated agriculturists, and some colleges that 

 do not yet appreciate their opportunity. But the 

 change for the better has been so marked that all 

 agricultural educators are extremely optimistic. 

 One of the most difficult and most important 

 phases of agricultural education is that of a 

 secondary grade. The great proportion of 

 educated farmers will probably be trained for 

 their business in secondary schools. This 

 problem is being approached from many stand- 

 points. The University of Minnesota estab- 

 lished, some fourteen years ago, a school of 

 agriculture, which now enrols several hundred 



