tended with great profit." In the second report, for 

 the year 1896, it was said : ' ' The animus of the entire 

 enterprise has been an attempt to inquire into the 

 agricultural status, to discover the causes of the rural 

 depression, and to suggest means for improving the 

 farmer's position. This attempt has been specifically 

 directed to a single great branch of rural industry, 

 horticulture, in pursuance of the provisions of the 

 law; but what is true of the horticultural communi- 

 ties is essentially true of other agricultural regions, 

 and, moreover, these two types of agricultural indus- 

 try cannot be separated by any arbitrary lines. The 

 work, therefore, has practically resulted in a broad 

 study of rural economics. We conceive that it is im- 

 possible really to extend the Experiment Station and 

 University impulse to the people in such manner that 

 it shall come to them as a living and quickening force, 

 without first studying the fundamental difficulties of 

 the farmers' social and political environment." 



The efforts in these early days, however, were 

 necessarily confined mostly to work with crops and 

 with schools; but the ultimate purpose — to deter- 

 mine the real basis of rural life — was clearly in mind 

 in the direction of the work. 



The work in communities gradually took on 

 larger meanings. It was desired to ''round up" an 

 entire subject in a region, and to get its full signifi- 



