EDUCATION FOR THE FARMER 87 



graduated as many farmers as they should have. 

 This is due not wholly to wrong notions in the 

 colleges. It is, as suggested before, partly due 

 to the lack of faith in agriculture on the part of 

 the farmers themselves. But the colleges are in 

 part to blame. Many of them have not been in 

 close touch with the farmers. They have often 

 been out of sympathy with the interests of the 

 farmers. They have too frequently been ser- 

 vile imitators of the traditions of the older col- 

 leges, instead of striking out boldly on a line 

 of original and helpful work for agriculture. To- 

 day, however, we see a rapid change going on in 

 most of our agricultural colleges. They are seek- 

 ing to help solve the farmers' difficulties. They 

 are training young men for farm life. The farm- 

 ers are responding to this new interest and are 

 beginning to have great confidence in the colleges. 

 It is sometimes said that most farmers who 

 get an agricultural education cannot be trained 

 in the colleges. Doub less this is true. Prob- 

 ably a very small proportion even of educated 

 farmers can or will graduate from a full course 

 in an agricultural college. Many will do so. 

 There is no reason why a large proportion 

 of the graduates of our college courses in 

 agriculture may not go to the farm. I have 



