DE HIRSCH AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL 191 



as purely agricultural subjects. The equipment was quite 

 limited in extent. Nor were there funds available for 

 the hiring of men trained in the teaching of technical 

 agriculture. Indeed, the methods of teaching agricul- 

 ture were quite crude in those days even at the state 

 agricultural colleges. The body of knowledge, out of 

 which textbooks are made, was meagre and the connec- 

 tion between classroom and laboratory instruction and 

 field practice less clearly definite. For this reason, Pro- 

 fessor Sabsovich and his associates had to feel their way 

 as they went. Changes in the curriculum were made fre- 

 quently as experience indicated improved methods of 

 teaching. As funds became more ample laboratory as 

 well as classroom instruction was organized and the 

 agricultural equipment was made more adequate. 



Within a decade after the establishment of the school 

 Professor Sabsovich succeeded, through untiring efforts, 

 in providing a modern school plant. A large brick 

 building, containing offices, classrooms and laboratories, 

 dormitories large enough to house nearly one hundred 

 students, dairy barns and silos, poultry buildings, green- 

 houses, storage sheds, machinery repair sheds, dining 

 halls and other buildings were erected and courses in 

 systematic study organized. 



A body of young but promising instructors were gath- 

 ered about Professor Sabsovich and the Baron de Hirsch 

 Agricultural School became nearly two decades ago a 

 pioneer in its field of vocational training in agriculture. 

 Many of the faculty attained prominence as investigators 

 and teachers in agriculture. Men like Professor White 

 of Cornell, Lewis of Rutgers College, Billings of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, Garrigues of 

 the Connecticut Agricultural College and a number of 

 others began their professional careers at the Baron de 



