Smyrna times., 1905-01-11
INTERESTING FARM NEWS
BY COMPETENT WRITERS
VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FARM
WORKER ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS.
The Cultivation of Crops, the Care of Live
Stock, aud the Most Improved Methods
In the Raising and Care of Poultry.

The Cultivation of Crops, the Care of Live
Stock, aud the Most Improved Methods
In the Raising and Care of Poultry.
DR.. Allen of the office of experiment
stations has recently made some inter-
esting statements and comments on the
status of agricultural training for
young men as shown by the records
of the past season. At hardly any
time, he says, since the stations were
organized and fairly running has there
been a greater call for men of various
grades and qualifications. A part Of
this call has risen from the growth Of
agricultural instruction and the re-
a broader basis.
A notable feature of the present de-
mand is credited to the high degree
Of efficiency which is called for. In
many cases specialists are desired who
bring to their work a combination of
special training and experience not
such men have had to be trained for
the work after leaving college, and,
while this will probably be inevitable
for certain positions, the enlarging Of
the facilities at the agricultural col
leges, in teaching force and equipment,
and the provision for more efficient
postgraduate work will enable the
- !,
much farther"
DR.. Allen notes that with a growing
appreciation of trained men for agri-
cultural pursuits has come a greater
interest in agricultural education on
the part of young men, as strictly in
dicated by the attendance at many of
the leading agricultural colleges now.
AS a rule, the number in the en-
tering class who have elected agricul-
ture shows a marked increase, often
far in advance of previous years. The
University of Illinois, for example, re
ports 130 agricultural students in its en-
tering class as compared with 1873 in
the whole college of agriculture two
years ago; Iowa Agricultural college
entered 155 as compared with 12S last
year; Massachusetts, rs; Michigan, 42
in the freshman and 6 in the subfresh-
man classes; Missouri, GO as compared
with Al last year; Ohio, 40; Texas,
go as compared with IS last year. The
above figures apply to students in the
entering classes who have elected the
four year courses in agriculture and
horticulture.
Other colleges report a marked in
crease in the total number of agricul-
tural students. At Cornell university
the number has increased about 80 per
cent, making the total 175; at the Ala
bama college the total is about 135 as
compared with 12j last year; at Glenn
son college, South Carolina, 1877, a con-
sSi'N-,9ble increase, and at the Univer-
-s-s.ty of Wisconsin there are SS students
in the long course against 60 last year.
While these numbers are not large
relatively, they Indicate a marked
change over conditions a few years
ago. and it should be noted that in the
majority of cases the registration has
increased in spite of more and more
rigid requirements for admission.
which are now as strict as for any 9th
er course in the institutions mentioned.
The differentiation of the agricultural
course is now so much more complete
than formerly that in most instances
the men who elect agriculture do so
because they are seeking an agricul-
tural education and not because they
are forced to take this course in order
TO get training in general science, as
was frequently the case a few years
ago, or because it furnishes an easier
road to a degree. This adds force to
the figures presented above and indi-
Gates that the placing of the agriculture
al course on level with other college
courses in point of entrance require
ments and grade of work is meeting
with very encouraging results.
The two year courses and the short
winter courses are serving a most ad.
mirable purpose and are increasing the
army of trained agriculturists who put
the teachings of the agricultural col
leges and the experiment stations and
other agencies for agricultural advance
ment into practical application.