40 
their own responsibilities. In the larger questions of farm economy, farm 
management, and the many problems that have been so interestingly discussed 
in the meetings Of this association there is call for a grade of intelligence, of 
executive ability, and of management much higher than is ordinarily appreciated. 
IV. Another phase of this appreciation lies in working out an educational 
programme that shall do the thing desired. This association has already dis- 
( Qssed and in general decided the main features of what, in its judgment, an 
agricultural education should be. Considerable time and labor have been spent 
upon the classification and adjustment of subjects and the time to be given to 
these several subjects. There is now general agreement that this work has been 
well done. I do not look for any serious or revolutionary modification of this 
programme The problem seems to be one of natural and. as I think, necessary 
expansion. I should not ignore the criticism that has been made of agricultural 
colleges, although 1 do not desire to be understood as supporting it. Some of 
it has been intelligent, wise, and helpful, but much of it has been erratic, 
zealous, and ill-informed. It has been said that agricultural courses are not 
■well adapted to the ends desired. It has been intimated that our coursi 
study do not carefully conform to the spirit of the Morrill Act. It has been said 
also that they do not meet the most pressing needs of the agricultural els 
These are serious statements and in a way constitute a charge against intelli- 
gence or the intelligence of those to whom the oversight of these colleges is 
intrusted. So far as these objections have any force it may be found that a 
more generous provision of money would remove most of them. Agricultural 
education is working under ven serious limitations. Most people and a very 
considerable percentage of legislators have failed to appreciate that agricultural 
education is of necessity expensive. It is to be expected that every effort, 
however sincere, can not always be wisely directed. We may therefore look 
for some unwise use of money and for the abandoning of certain lines of work. 
Making due allowance, however, for all these things, there remains the out- 
standing fact that the limitations of these colleges have been a serious handicap. 
Those iu the association who have had most generous support have proved to 
be most largely serviceable not only in their own States, but to the general 
cause of agricultural education. In the present programme of this association 
we are to discuss a number of the questions that bear upon this very problem. 
Whether these colleges shall do elementary work or whether they shall do more 
advanced work will in many instances resolve itself into a question of money. 
There is a sentiment in the country that these schools should confine themselves 
to what might be termed " practical education." We hear it and read it in the 
press that there is no great demand for scientific agriculturists — at any rate, that 
such demand could be met by a few colleges. We are told that the higher and 
more scientific pursuits should not be abandoned, but that the more important 
and practical phases of agriculture should be emphasized and the work in that 
direction greatly enlarged. Certain phases of agricultural effort, like the agricul- 
tural institute in Iowa and the winter schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota, have 
attracted considerable attention and called forth much praise. The tendency, 
especially in the West, to take active interest in stock exhibits is quite marked. 
On the other hand, severe criticism has been brought upon agricultural colleges 
for experimental feeding, which costs three or four times what the stock market 
will support We have heard it said that such education would pauperize every 
farmer in the State. 
I mention these things not for approval or disapproval, but for the purpose of 
calling attention to the fact that the programme of the agricultural colleges is 
not yet in its final form. 
I call attention to another fact in connection with it. that all these special 
features are expensive. The taxpayer is not exclusively devoted to the cause 
of agricultural education. We shall probably not reach a point very soon where 
we shall be free from adverse and oftentimes captious criticism. 
V. As bearing uixm this general topic and as presenting another specific 
problem. I make reference to the movement for agricultural education in the 
rural schools In general this is the outgrowth of the agricultural college and 
follows the line of other educational development in that most improvement has 
come from above. The highest education has stimulated the elementary educa- 
tion. It is natural, therefore, that the agricultural college should stimulate the 
elementary education in the rural schools. This is more than a passing phase 
of the subject of nature study. The local intluence of a school should always 
be for the improvement if it> constituency. There is no place where more wide- 
spread good can be done for agriculture than in the rural schools. What might 
