No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 155 



glad indeed that they have so presented it ; but here is one 

 other phase of this question in Massachusetts. You all know 

 the agricultural class is in a vast minority. Out of two and 

 a quarter million people, probably not over one hundred 

 thousand are connected with agriculture directly. We, 

 being in this minority, are unal)le to compel the redress of 

 our grievances. It is quite different from what it is in the 

 agricultural States, so called. We need the help of others. 

 The Ai>Ticultural Collei2:e has l)een criticised because of the 

 few graduates who return to the ftirm, but I have yet to 

 meet a sinole graduate of that college who is not an 

 educated and powerful ally of the agricultural class in 

 Massachusetts, not only in this matter of taxation, but in all 

 matters pertaining to the interests of agriculture. If you 

 find a merchant in the city of Boston, as there are some, who 

 is a graduate of the Agricultural College, you find there a 

 powerful friend of agriculture, an advocate of justice to the 

 agricultural classes and to their interests. If you find a 

 preacher who has l)een educated at that college, you find 

 there an intelligent advocate and defender of the agricultural 

 interests of the State. So of the doctors, so of the lawyers. 

 Therefore I say we are blessed by the influence of every 

 graduate of that college, and shall be as long as time shall 

 last. 



Mr. Ethan Brooks (of West Springfield). There is one 

 subject in connection with education at the Agricultural Col- 

 lege which has not ])een touched upon, and that is military 

 discipline, and I should like to hear something about that. 



Professor Mills. That was referred to by Professor 

 Brooks in the article which he read last year. 



Mr. Ethan Brooks. The point is that it is worth a great 

 deal to the individual student, and may be at any time of 

 great advantage to the country, to have young men fitted so 

 that in an emergency they can take positions as commissioned 

 officers in the United States Army. It is a sort of junior 

 West Point in the matter of military training. 



Professor Brooks. I do not think, if my memory serves 

 me, that I treated of that at any length in the printed report 

 of the work of the Agricultural College, although I referred 

 to it j but I do not think I need to look at the report to 



