The San Francisco call., 1897-02-11

remarks outlining the purpose of the in
stitute, and stated that the Board of Re-
gents OF the State University, of which he
is a member, had determined to carry out
the spirit of the law under which that in
s:itution was founded. Professor E. w.
Hilgard, the head of the department of
agriculture, was then introduced as the
first speaker of the evening.
AS Professor Hilgard came forward he
bowed his acknowledg dgment OF the ap-
plause and launched forth on his subject
without more ado. His remarks were
introduced with a statement that the gen.
eral subject of agriculture at the univer-
sity is treated in two ways-by instruc-
tion and by experimentation.
1.-The methods of instruction" he
stated, "are by delivering lectures at the
university, by these farmers institutes,
reports and bulletins scattered all over
the State at regular intervals.
I'VE try TO make boys work as they do
on the farm. This has been tried in the
old countries and pronounced success,
but it has been said that in America,
where every boy hopes to become Presi-
dent, it could not amount to much.
Purely, as regards instruction, we have
found it to be an excellent method.
Here in California we have problems
to consider foreign to most countries. In
such arid countries as Arabia and all
those lands where civilization first de-
veloped they have had long experience
and know just what to grow, where and
when to grow it. For this reason we need
tions with which they are surrounded.
ITO be taught the boys must have
teachers. There is not one out of fifty
competent to deal with the subject of
agriculture. Neither can the masses at
tend the university nor the university go
round on wheels to supply the people with
knowledge.
"The Farmers Institute is the nearest
approach 10 enlightening the masses we
have yet thought OF. You would be sur
prised at the lack of interest the farmers
of this State seem to take in the general
subject of agricultural teaching. Out of
500 students that entered the university
last year eighty-fve or ninety were farm
ers' sons. Yet not a single one of those
boys from the rural districts took the agri-
cultural course, even as special students.
Only five took the course at all, and they
were all city boys.
'There is a reason for this. Farm work
is largely regarded as menial drudgery,
and the boys long for metropolitan ex-
istence, where they can make money with
out hard work. In this they are largely
encouraged by their parents. Now, this
is a mistake; if those boys were taught
that agriculture requires intellectually
as well as muscle to be carried on prop
erly they might take more interest in it.
"As regards the second method of in
struction, or the work of the farmers in
stitutes, it is only in its inception, but we
are meeting with great encouragement
and believe that we shall accomplish good
results.
"1n correspondence we are frequently
expected to tell what certain tract of land
is good for. how it can be improved, and
a thousand other things merely by hav-
ing sam pie of the soil sent us. We can
not know how to estimate anything at
ali or give any advice on such meager in
formation. In some places they have to
keep at work teaching people to fertlIize
the soil-here we are frequently obliged to