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cal manner the points brought forward. Iu a large number of cases we saw that 
our hearers did not understand the reasoning brought forward very well; they were 
not students iu the strict seuse of the term. Occasionally, however, we did find 
a person who took hold of the right idea and saw that one thing hitched on to 
another, and at the end of the course we saw that there was really some very 
important work done. I have some figures here which will give some idea of the 
proportion of those we lectured to who really took it up as a matter of education, 
in addition to the matter of making it apply to the farming business. 
Agricultural courses of lectures have been given in seven different sections of the 
State. The average attendance at each lecture was 60, ranging from 109 to 26. 
These were regular attendants. Out of that 60, 22 took the regular work in connec- 
tion with it — that is, in addition to attending the lecture, they remained during the 
second hour and were willing to be quizzed upon the work and to carry on the work 
required during the week, such as essays and the reading of agricultural works. 
At the end of the six weeks we examined and gave credit for the work of the 22, 
and that, practically, was the whole work. 
I found that those who took the first course — that is, began with the course on 
soils and crops — were the ones who were most likely to go through and study the 
work. That is, if we could get them started right, we generally carried them 
through better. It was noticeable that out of a large number very few, after they 
had arrived at the age of 25 years, seemed to care for any more than simply to hear 
the lecture and pick up such information as might be of use in regular work. We 
could not get them to study between lectures or give an account of themselves so 
far as study was concerned. But the most useful course was given at Newton. 
It was inspiring to have these young men as students, every one a youug man who 
had not gotten far enough along to get into a rut, and still believed that there might 
be something a little better than had been taught him by his father. As to the prac- 
tical result: A young man of 23, who took hold of it in a bright way, took up the 
question of fertilizers. He raised early potatoes, and the whole question with him 
was, How can I get my potatoes into market a day or two earlier than my neighbor? 
If you can give us a formula that will do that it will be dollars to us. Of course 
the only thing to do was to give him principles and tell him how to apply these 
principles in the application of the formula. He says to himself, If this professor 
is right, I must get a crop if I do thus and so ; hence I will buy the best potato 
manure in the market, and I will put it on, making the formula according to theory, 
and see where I come out. He did put it on, and told me the other day in great glee 
that he thought there really was something in it. He took the principles of scieuce 
and applied them to practice. His neighbors asked him how he knew it. He says 
he attended the extension lectures. 
The only fear we have is that we shall not be able to meet the demands made upon 
us to carry on the work. However, I believe the indirect effect will be of great 
value to our institutions in stirring up interest and bringing men to us for the long 
course. So far as my experience goes, I consider this one of the most useful lines of 
work we have ever taken up in New Jersey. 
The Chairman. We will proceed at once to the topic " The Coop- 
eration of Stations with Farmers' Organizations in Experiment Work." 
Mr. Jenkins. The special resources and equipment of the different institutions 
and the character of the education given, as well as the special needs of the great 
farming interests in the different States, make it a very dangerous work for anyone 
who has spent his whole life in a single State to dogmatize with regard to a ques- 
tion like this, and I shall offer only one or two brief notes. 
Of course a plan which may be useful in Connecticut might not be useful in 
Texas, and a method which will work in New York may not work in Colorado. 
The conditions under Avhich we work in different States are very dissimilar. This 
results in decided embarrassment in discussing questions like this. 
