366 RURAL NEW YORK 



the special schools of agriculture should become more 

 organically a part of the state educational system 

 and gradually correlate with the high-schools ; the 

 extension type of vocational instruction which has 

 attained large development in the farm bureau sys- 

 tem should bo extended, and the home demonstration 

 agent be constituted a regular part of it; every com- 

 munity should study its own social facilities through 

 the Grange or other recognized agency. The social 

 functions in the open country should be considered 

 to be definite and worthy of separate development and 

 not dwarfed or overshadowed by business or religion. 

 This function should preferably express itself 

 through one body. The smaller the community, the 

 greater is the necessity that it confine these activities 

 to one organization. 



7. Investigation and research should always be the 

 sul)ject of encouragement by a government. A grow- 

 ing population is continually pressing against tlie 

 bounds of its established knowledge. Agriculture 

 has been one of the first divisions of business to sot 

 up investigation and research as a distinct puldic 

 function to which men exclusively devote their time. 

 The Xew York Agricultural Experiment Station was 

 probably the first of its kind in this country to l)e 

 organized on a comprehensive basis. 



The tendency of routine government organization 

 to crystallize into easy rather than altogether efficient 

 lines of administration brings danger of stifling that 

 essential freedom of thought and action which is 

 the essence of effective investigation. The public and 



