198 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



exhibiting in their own persons the possibilities of enlight- 

 ened farming; men wlio will practise while (perhaps not 

 what) the others preach. I would condemn neither the 

 preacher nor the practical man ; I make no pretence of plac- 

 ing one above the other. There is room and there is work 

 for both. We should endeavor to serve l)oth ; but the effort 

 to suit both in one course of study and training is fore- 

 doomed to failure. Far is it from my intention to underes- 

 timate the value to him who guides the plough of a liberal 

 education. None perceive more clearly than I that it will 

 vastly increase such a man's chances for success and his 

 capacities for enjoyment ; but I would look the facts squarely 

 in the face, and the fact is that many who come to us feel 

 that they cannot spare either the time or the money for an 

 extended course of study, and they in many cases lack the 

 aptitude or the taste for it. They would like to become 

 better farmers than their fathers have l)een, and they come 

 to us only to become dissatisfied when they find that 

 languages, " ologies " and numerous abstruse sciences must 

 be acquired before they can graduate. A partial course will 

 not help them as much as they should l)e helped in the time 

 they have to give for study. The studies and training 

 offered these men should be more practical, and the course 

 should occupy a shorter time than four years. We cannot 

 modify any one course of study to make it suit })oth these 

 men, and those who look towards intellectual work. The 

 two classes of men are on an unequal footing intellectually 

 when they come to us. The same kind of food cannot be 

 made to suit l)()tli. 



In view of this state of affairs, we are in favor of oli'cring 

 two distinct courses of study ; and the faculty of the college 

 are now considering a plan which includes this as one of its 

 essential features. One course will be for four years, the 

 other for two. For the first the requirements for admission 

 will ])e put somewhat higher than at present, and the studies 

 of the last year will l)e elective. The general outline of the 

 first three years of this course will l)c much as at present; 

 agriculture and horticulture will be required of all. In the 

 last year agriculture, horticulture, chemisty, mathematics, 

 entomology, veterinary, German and social science are made 



