The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1904-11-04
nal SUMS.


Agricultural education has gone
through the experimental stage and is
now on a solid basis. Where the agri-
cultural colleges were first established
agriculture had not been reduced to
a pedagogical basis; that is, while
there were many facts known bDout
farming these had not been reduced
an exact science. The methods had
not been properly tested and classified.
Through the sciences allied to agrlcu.-
ture and through the work of the Elk
pertinent Stations agriculture has been
divided into the several studies OF
Agronomy, Animal, Husbandry, Horti-
culture, Botany and Plant Pathology,
and strictly scientific books have been
written upon all these subjects by
number Of imminent professors. Now
agriculture is both science and an
art, and he who makes the most out
of his farm should master both the
science and the art. In teaching aGFl-
culture these two phases of the Sub
ject must never be forgotten. The
study Of the textbooks in the various
departments of agriculture must be ~
these principles to the farm and school
garden. Practice and observation re
lating to soil preparation, the mixing
and distribution of fertilizers, the care
of fruit trees, the feeding and care OF
animals, the handling Of dairy pro-
ducts, seed selection, plant breeding,
stock judging, veterinary science and
scores of other subjects that relate
to the farm must be studied in the
texts and applied in the farm.
The chemical laboratory is not run
for profit. the dissecting room is not
run for profit, nor is the clinic and
hospital in connection with the medical
colleges. These are made to earn
what they may incidentally, but their
purpose is to teach. Such is the rela-
ton of the college farm work to the
students in agriculture. In no other
way can the student get the full value
of his course.
The work of the school of agricui-
ture at the State University is conduct,
ed along the plan outlined above. The
students have their regular classroom
hours in agronomy, Horticulture, Ami
NAL Husbandry, Farm Engineering,
English, History, Mathematics and one
science amounting in all to eighteen
hours a week. They also have four
hours a week in farm practice The
University cultivates nine acres ad-
joining the agricultural hall for daily
observation and experimentation and
1870 acres on the college farm The
farm is visited twice a week by the stu
dents in company with the professor,
who resides on the farm and conducts
all the operations A herd of dairy
COWS and another of beef cattle is
kept. A well equipped dairy is in regu-
lar operation, students mastering the
best methods of milk testing, butter
or cheese making Surveying, level
ing and terracing are taught by exer-
cises in the field. The use, construc'
ton and repair of farm machinery is
taught in connection with the nipple
ments belonging to the farm.
A young farmer should prepare
himself for his life work by taking a
course in the School of Agriculture.
The three months winter course in
January, February and March will not
cost him more than forty dollars for
all necessary expenses while at Athens
and the one-year course which has
just begun, will cost $125 90 for the
nine months. Over fifty young men
are now taking the course and prepare
tions are being made for hundred
more for the winter course.
In addition to the courses offered
to young men at Athens, the Univer-
I sitv iS reaching a large number of far,