100 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



the greatest courtesy and afforded every facility for obtaining 

 the information desired. 



At all institutions visited the prominent fact was the phe- 

 nomenal awakening of public interest in things agricultural, the 

 rapidly increasing number of students and the new lines of work 

 everywhere demanded. 



At each institution was emphasized the necessity of a better 

 and better class of men for teaching and research, and the grow- 

 ing difficulty of obtaining and retaining them. Our unanimous 

 conclusion is thaj; of the three branches of work mentioned be- 

 fore, teaching does and must stand first. Scarcely second in im- 

 portance, and essential to the best teaching, is research ; while 

 without well planned extension work, much of the results and 

 practical application of research does not promptly reach the peo- 

 ple for whom it is intended. In no case must extension work be 

 allowed to infringe on the other branches, as such a course will 

 not only decrease the effectiveness in those branches, but ulti- 

 mately lower the standard of the extension work itself. 



The above is formulated, not with the idea that the College 

 of Agriculture of the University of Illinois is solely a teaching 

 institution, or that it exists for research, or that its province is 

 the dissemination of popular knowledge; but that it is, and ever 

 must be, a great public service organization for the betterment of 

 agriculture in its broadest sense and of the people engaged di- 

 rectly or indirectly in agricultural pursuits. 



We have given especial attention to the subject of Domestic 

 or Household Science, and our specific recommendations, to fol- 

 low, have in view a radical departure in broadening and extend- 

 ing the scope of that most important department. 



After returning from our investigation of the institutions in 

 other states we have made a careful investigation of conditions 

 in Illinois. We feel warranted in stating that the people of our 

 state may take just pride in their Agricultural College, in its 

 personnel, and in the work which is has done under difficulties 

 generally unknown, but we must not be blinded to the fact that 

 we now face the greatest crisis in its history. 



Seven years ago the College had 339 students. During 



