THE PROBLEMS OF PROGRESS 33 



cultural educators have even disavowed such a 

 purpose as a proper object of the colleges But 

 the strongest agricultural colleges today have 

 pride in just such a purpose. And why not? 

 We not only need men thus trained as leaders in 

 every rural community, but, if the farming busi 

 ness cannot be made to offer a career to a reason 

 able number of college-trained men, it is a sure 

 sign that only by the most herculean efforts can 

 the farmers maintain their status as a class. If 

 agriculture must be turned over wholly to the 

 untrained and to the half -trained, if it cannot 

 satisfy the ambition of strong/well-educated men 

 and women, its future, from the social point of 

 view, is indeed gloomy. 



The present-day course of study in the agri 

 cultural college does not, however, fully meet 

 this demand for rural leadership. The farm 

 problem has been regarded as a technical ques 

 tion, and a technical training has been offered 

 the student. The agricultural college, therefore, 

 needs "socializing." Agricultural economics 

 and rural sociology should occupy a large place 

 in the curriculum. The men who go from the 

 college to the farm should appreciate the signifi 

 cance of the agricultural question, and should 

 be trained to organize their forces for genuine 



