THE LINE PURSUED IN KANSAS. 375 



the mechanic arts. Prominence should be given to those branches 

 in the degree in which they are actually used by the farmer or 

 mechanic. 



3. As against the opinion that the aim of these colleges should be 

 to make thoroughly educated men, we affirm that their greater aim 

 should be to make men thoroughly educated farmers, and for three 

 reasons: First A student may receive the highest scholastic educa 

 tion afforded by universities, and yet know nothing of practical farm 

 ing. Second Although we hold that the mental faculties are as 

 w r ell disciplined by the mastery of those sciences which relate most 

 directly to agriculture as by the study of any other branches of 

 learning, and therefore that mental development can as truly be 

 gained in agricultural as in other colleges; yet we affirm, that their 

 greater aim should be to teach the farmer how best to apply the 

 truths of science in the management of his farm, and how most to 

 profit thereby. Third The primary aim of literary colleges is and 

 has been for centuries, to discipline the mind, other purposes being 

 secondary. The doors of these noble institutions are open alike to 

 the children of the industrial and professional classes. It is there 

 fore neither necessary, economical or wise for the State to maintain 

 an agricultural college which shall seek to do the same thing for the 

 same purpose. 



For the purpose of defining- the policy of the Board of Regents of 

 the Kansas State Agricultural College, and as a guide to the faculty 

 in preparing a curriculum, it was 



Resolved, That the object of the institution is to impart a liberal 

 and practical education to those who desire to qualify themselves for 

 the actual practice of agriculture, the mechanic trades, or industrial 

 arts. Prominence shall be given to agriculture and these arts in the 

 proportion that they are severally followed in the State of Kansas. 

 Prominence shall be given to the several branches of learning which 

 relate to agriculture and the mechanic arts, according to the direct 

 ness and value of their relation. 



The difference between the line pursued in Kansas and that of 

 the other Agricultural Colleges seems to be: They take as an objec 

 tive point the graduation of agricultural experts, who shall act as 

 missionaries to working farmers; the Kansas College makes its ob 

 jective point the graduation of a capable farmer, able to make his 

 living by farming. Their theory is that of the Normal School, 

 training teachers who shall instruct scholars; the Kansas theory is 

 that of training the scholar. Along the mechanical branch they 

 seek to graduate master-builders or superintendents of machine 

 shops; the Kansas College, to graduate intelligent and skillful car 

 penters, masons, and blacksmiths. The former strike for the in 

 dustries considered the highest, and believe that in reaching them 

 they include all below; the latter strikes for those most commonly 

 followed in this State, and by successfully mastering them, expects 

 to climb up to the rarest, because, with them, where five agricult 

 ural scientists can make a living, five thousand capable farmers can 

 more than make a living; and where five master mechanics, or arch 

 itects, can obtain employment, five times as many can command 

 wages. The Regents and President of this remarkable college 

 further declare, that whenever their masters, the Legislature of 



