The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-04-02
4, & NJ, COLLEGE
PR0SPER|NC
Director John Fields Attends
Good Roads Meeting.
DISCUSSES THE SCHOOL
Made a Good Move in Drop
ping Preparatory Course.

Guthrie. o. T. April 1.-Director John
Fields of the experiment station at Still
water. was in the city today attending the
meeting called for he purpose OF or
ganizing a good roads association of Okla
hano and Indian Territories. Being inter
ested in everything that pertains to the
advancement sf agriculture in the south
west. he came to give such aid as he
could TO the organization. Speaking Of
the work of the agricultural college and
experiment station, he said that never
wss the institution at Sillwater in better
shape. The college made a move in the
right direction last year when is discOn-
tinued the preparatory department, taking
the position that the public schools were
the real preparatory department for the
territorial educational institutions and
that when students go away from home
10 attend school. it should be fore the
purpose of getting what is not provided
for at home. 1t was expected that this
change would result in a reduction in at
tendance during the current college year,
but it did not have this effect A feature
Of the change was the establishing of 4
two years course in agriculture and do
mestic economy for the boys and girls
from the farms who cannot spare the time
10 take a complete college course. This
course begins about the middle of Oc-
tober and extends to the middle of March
zach year, thus keeping the young folks
at home during the busy season and at
school during the months when work
Is slack on the farms. The attendance
In the course during the first year was
more than one hundred and at least that
many boys and girls in oklahoma have
been trained the elements of scientific ag-
riculture.
There has been such a demand for in
struction in dairying that al It's last meet
Ing, the board Of regents of the college
arranged for the erection Of a two story
dairy building, 3ox6o feet to be built of
stone and ready for use next fall Di-
rector Fields says that dairying is
greatly neglected industry in Oklahoma
and that much of the possible profit IN
keeping cows is lost by the fact that but
little use is made from the milk except to
raise calves and that when butter is
made, poor facilities and lack of knowl-
edge of correct methods make much of
st practically unsaleable. The rapid de-
velopment of the dairy industry in Kan
sas would indicate a very profitable source
Of revenue here. The ways that the boys
and girls took TO dairying at the college
last winter was such that it was neces-
sary to make FIVE divisions of the classes
so that all could take the work
The prizes which the Hereford and An
gus cattle belonging TO the agricultural
college won at Oklahoma City in Febru-
ary- at the stock show. are much priced.
They consist of three immense silver
cups one for the grand championship
Of the Angus cattle and the other two for
Championships in the classes in which the (
animals were exhibited.
Commencement exercises viii he held
this year May 29th TO June lst and many
attractive features have been arranged, (
among them win be field meet with the
track team Of teh university of Kansas /
A class Of twenty-three will be graduated
from the four years course. with the
degree of bachelor Of science.