96 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



community center, correlation of agriculture with other school 

 subjects, and agricultural textbooks. 



During this entire period the subject of agricultural education 

 was much discussed. Various plans were proposed for its develop- 

 ment. Some provided that the societies themselves should organ- 

 ize stock companies to establish schools for instruction in agri- 

 cultural subjects. Several such schools were started, but owing 

 to difficulties (chiefly financial) they were not successful. These 

 attempts were an important stage in the evolution of the agri- 

 cultural college. 



Stock-company plans were succeeded by others involving state 

 or federal support. The agricultural societies representing asso- 

 ciated effort were finally able to secure the attention of legis- 

 lative bodies. In New York State, for example, the New York 

 State Agricultural Society began a campaign for a school of 

 agriculture soon after the date of its organization (1832), 

 and continued it until 1853 when the legislature granted a char- 

 ter for such an institution. The founding of the Agricultural 

 College of Cornell University was no doubt due in a large 

 measure to the activity of the New York State Agricultural 

 Society, and of other agricultural societies of the state. 



The Michigan State Agricultural Society which was formed 

 in 1849 immediately set to work to secure a state agricultural 

 college. Its efforts at once secured the attention of the legis- 

 lature. The matter was brought up at each session of the 

 legislature until, in 1855, a bill authorizing the establishment of 

 the State Agricultural College of Michigan became a law. 



"The Industrial League of the State of Illinois," chiefly 

 composed of farmers, had much to do with the passage of the 

 Land Grant Act of 1862. This League was an outgrowth of 

 the meeting of a convention held at Granville, Putnam County, 

 Illinois, November 18, 1851. The object of this convention 

 "was to take into consideration such means as might be deemed 

 most expedient to further the interests of the agricultural com- 

 munity, and particularly to take steps toward the establishment 



