192 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



with the girdling of grape-vines, however, has proved of so 

 great practical value that it must be thus briefly alluded to. 



Thus far I have considered only what may be called the 

 outside influence and work of the college, and have made no 

 ■especial reference to the results of its work with its students. 

 This branch of our subject must now be considered ; but 

 before taking it up I want to ask those of you who are 

 old enough to remember to look back twenty-five years and 

 compare the agriculture of those days with the agriculture 

 of to-day. You will agree that many and important are the 

 improvements which these years have brought, and I think 

 you will admit that in bringing about these improvements 

 the Agricultural College has played an important part. 



But, after all, the chief work of the college is the educa- 

 tion of young men who shall become the better farmers or 

 serve agriculture the more effectively because of the educa- 

 tion they receive. Since the college opened its doors to 

 students, in the fall of 1867, it has received within its walls 

 (not including students now in the college) eight hundred 

 and seventy-nine men. We have at the present time one 

 hundred and forty men. Of the eight hundred and seventy- 

 nine who have studied in the college for longer or shorter 

 periods, three hundred and sixty-one have completed the 

 prescribed course of study and received the degree of 

 Bachelor of Science. 



Complete statistics of three hundred and thirteen of these 

 men, the graduates of the last class not included, are at 

 hand ; and examination reveals the following facts : one 

 hundred and sixty-two of these men, rather more than one- 

 half of the entire number, are either farmers or engaged in 

 closely allied pursuits. There are ninety-two farmers, and 

 the remainder are distri))uted as follows : agricultural 

 editors, four ; fertilizer business, seven ; teachers in agri- 

 cultural institutions, twenty ; experiment station directors, 

 two ; veterinary doctors, seven ; professors of veterinary 

 science, two ; assistants in experiment stations, twenty-two ; 

 assistants in the Board of Agriculture, two ; Gypsy Moth 

 Commission, four. 



I want particularly to call attention to the prominent 

 position occupied by our graduates in agricultural colleges 



