THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 41 



not in the Agricultural Collegeg but in the false popular 

 impression of their nature and function. A rich man's son, 

 who may exi)ect to become the owner of a large hmded estate, 

 or the poor man's son, wlio may hope for the superiutendency 

 of such a property, will do well to graduate from an Agricul- 

 tural College. As a preparation for the life of an ordinary 

 farmer, a course at an Agricultural College is a foolish waste. 

 The reason is, as we shall see, that nine-tentlis of tlie time of 

 the student will be expended in learning what he will have 

 no occasion to apply, and will soon forget. 



The office of the Agricultural College is to investigate phe- 

 nomena connected with ftirm life and the operations of farming, 

 and disseminate the information gathered. Of its graduates, 

 the functions of some must be to continue original investi- 

 gations, and others to convey what is learned to the people at 

 large. Occasionally, as stated, they will serve as managers of 

 large properties. For this, however, vigor, executive ability, 

 and common sense are essential. An individual possessing 

 these qualities will be made more valuable by the education 

 to be obtained in an Agricultural College. But if the knowl- 

 edge gained is to be applied only to an ordinary farm, the 

 cost of obtaining it would be as unwise an expenditure as the 

 purchase of a combined harvester by the farmer who raises 

 only twenty acres of v/heat. Besides, eight years spent in 

 sedentary employment when a young man, is almost sure to 

 cause a dislike for the physical work of a form. Habits are 

 not easy to change. 



The graduate of an Agricultural College should be able to 

 analyze soils and foods. The farmer does not need to do this, 

 nor could he usually have the laboratory and appliances for 

 accurate work; neither, unless constantly engaged in it, would 

 he be able to retain his skill. Nowadays, when a farmer 

 desires an analysis of his soil, or of any special food, he gets 

 it done for nothing, by experts, by sending it to his Agricul- 

 tural College. Why spend much money to prepare one's self 

 to do poorly that which he can get well done for nothing? 

 The agricultural graduate should be a bacteriologist. That 

 is, he should be familiar with known forms of bacteria, and 



