No. 4.] INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION. 27 



educational requirement. It will not insure the general 

 development of the pupil, nor Avill it even fit him for the 

 profession of agriculture. 



It may seem as if I had conceded too much in granting, as 

 I have, that technical education as applied to agriculture is 

 confused, immature, and not upon a level with other depart- 

 ments of technical education. But there is some hope in it. 

 For there is nothing in the method of instruction in agri- 

 culture to prevent such reconstruction, or such gradual im- 

 provement, as may Idc suggested by longer experience. The 

 name "agricultural college" is, I suppose, a designation 

 which is likely to be permanent. But the agricultural col- 

 leges will never command the respect which other colleges 

 conmiand until they earn it. No decree, no legislation, cer- 

 tainly no declamation, will elevate the institution which is 

 not exalted by its own worth. One of two things, and prob- 

 ably l)oth of them, our agricultural colleges must do, if they 

 are not always to be considered, as many people now con- 

 sider them, institutions where a partial education may be 

 gained, an education distinctly lower, upon the whole, 

 than that of the classical college. Either the agricultural 

 college must produce men who are far on the road to emi- 

 nence in their chosen specialty, or it must produce men able 

 to maintain their places side by side with the bachelors of 

 arts from other colleges. If the institution aims to produce 

 eminent specialists, and only these, its constituency will be 

 reduced to narrow limits ; if it aims to send forth specialists, 

 and at the same time to give as complete general develop- 

 ment as any institution can give in the same time, there is 

 no reason why the agricultural college may not have a con- 

 stituency practically unlimited, and win for its name genuine 

 honor. So long as either ao-ricultural or technical educa- 

 tion is of greatest interest to us, we ought not to rest until 

 the agricultural college is recognized as the equal of any 

 college in the land. 



There may be some points of detail which should not l)e 

 entirely overlooked. For many questions rise, questions 

 which must be answered somcAvhere, and which may not 

 unfittingly be. asked here. At what point shall the technical 

 education, specifically that pertaining to agriculture, begin? 



