ORGANIZATION AND STATUS OF WORK 195 



agricultural research and investigation ; but this is insuffi- 

 cient to maintain the work as it should be, and to keep in 

 advance of extension of which it must be the chief source 

 of supply. 



AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES 



In order to make it possible for persons to prepare them- 

 selves especially for agricultural pursuits, whether for 

 farming itself or for related public service, the federal Con- 

 gress in July, 1862, made provision in cooperation with the 

 states for the giving of systematic and scientific instruc- 

 tion, information and training in the principles of agricul- 

 ture. This epoch-making legislation, known as the Morrill 

 or Land Grant Act, because it appropriated thirty thou- 

 sand acres of public land (instead of money) for each rep- 

 resentative which each state then had in Congress, laid the 

 foundation of agricultural education in the United States. 

 Its object was to endow, support and maintain "at least 

 one college in each state where the leading object . . . shall 

 be to teach such branches of learning as are related to agri- 

 culture and the mechanic arts." 



This act was also supplemented in 1890 and again in 1907 

 by additional federal legislation and appropriations, and 

 its purposes enlarged to include the training of agricultural 

 teachers. As in the case of the experiment stations, these 

 colleges now derive the greater part of their support from 

 the states and are controlled by state appointed boards of 

 trustees. To officers of the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture, however, is entrusted the administration of all the 

 federal appropriations assigned to these colleges. Every 

 state now has its agricultural college and 35,000 to 40,000 

 students annually receive instruction at them. In most 

 states there are also special agricultural schools and courses 

 in high schools. 



