195 



the best scientific knowledge and the most improved farm practice may 

 be carried out to the American farmer in things that he can see and methods 

 that he can use. 



The agricultural colleges, then, are fulfilling the ideals of their founders, 

 Mr. Morrill and Mr. Lincoln, when they teach, when they experiment, and 

 when they help all the people who support them through the taxes which 

 they pay. 



I have been asked to tell you what our college is doing and the con- 

 tribution it is making toward building up the agriculture and rural life 

 of our commonwealth. In doing this I make no apology for the frequent 

 reference to our work. I recognize fully that several other institutions 

 are doing a similar and even greater work than are we. 



For lack of time I say nothing about our academic and research 

 work, but we must recognize clearly that the latter is the fountain head 

 from which we secure all facts to be used later in our teaching and exten- 

 sion work. 



I would say in passing that the organization of our college is as follows : 



1. Academic. Four years. Graduate. 



2. Experiment Station. 



3. Extension Service. All except above mentioned. 

 Only the briefest mention of our different activities is possible. 



Like many other colleges, we offer short winter courses for mature 

 men and women who can come to the college only for a short time. Hun- 

 dreds come each year to our ''Annual Farmers' Week," the programme of 

 which is full to overflowing with the newest ideas on agriculture and 

 country life. We teach apple packing and grading in a special course on 

 this subject. We try to instruct special groups like the tree wardens of 

 the state, fertilizer agents, seed dealers, milk inspectors, and others by 

 offering courses especially adapted to their needs. 



We hold annually a summer school, not so much to teach practical 

 agriculture as to instruct and inspire rural clergymen, librarians, grange 

 officers, county Y. M. C. A. workers, boards of health, town officials, and 

 others who should be the leaders in their several communities, with the 

 new country life movement in order that they may return to their commu- 

 nities with the knowledge of how a better community life and finer public 

 spirit may be brought about. 



We bring boys from the smaller towns to the college during the summer 

 to an agricultural camp and teach them agriculture, clean sportsmanship, 

 recreation, photography, clean living and other interesting things. By 

 this we turn their attention to their own towns and create in them a gen- 

 uine sympathy for these things. We acknowledge, of course, that many 

 country boys should turn their attention citjr^ard. We hope, however, 

 to help stop the general drift in this direction. 



People from all walks of life gather at our institution each summer 

 in conference to discuss problems of community building and planning. 



