The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-11-20
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

Agricultural College, N. D., Nov. 20.
The week at the A. c. has been full
Of happenings. With President Worst
in the east at the launching Of the
North Dakota, Dean Shepperd at
Washington in attendance at the an
nual session of the association of
agricultural colleges, Superintendent
Hoverstad at Washington in confer
ence with the institute conductors of
other states, Prof. G. B. Waldron just
back from the Chicago flower show
with splendid consignment of flow
ers for the new greenhouse, and Dean
Ladd in Washington in connection
with pure food legislation. the school
is we'll represented abroad, and every
body very busy at home.
And the A. c. lost its last game Of
football. There are several explana-
tons, the most sportsmanlike appear
ing to be that Fargo college played
better ball. And the A. C. Is willing
to let 1t go at that-for another year.
No school likes to see its team lose
and the A. c. had come to look upon
its athletes as pretty nearly invinci-
BILE. But in the interest of good all
around sport it is not to be regretted
that the college failed to retain the
state championship. The game will
be all the keener next fall, the student
interest greater.
In the line of sport basketball has
now replaced football and the gymnas-
ium is in constant demand. So far
the agriculturists have made the best
showing, but all the departments have
teams in training, and the basketball
season opens with every promise of
la most successful. run. ...,.-.. !. =.
The enrolment Of the school at this
time is unusually heavy, and students
being put into shape for the winter
term, when 1t is confidently expected
that the registration will approach
the fifteen hundred mark. The strong
work done in the lines Of steam en-
cheering and farm husbandry is CALL
ing in students from states like Wis
consin and Minnesota. That this work
is not So much a mere matter Of local
growth as it Is a general drift into
the line Of agricultural education, let
ters, of which the following is one
Of many, go long way to show. With
in two weeks time five requests ar
rived, carrying practically the same
call, 1--WE want assistance, and look
to your school to give 1t to u.s." The
letter in question follows:
president ]. H. Worst, Fargo. N. D..
Dear Mr.. Worst:-Our school
board and myself are DESTROYS of
adapting our courses more closely to
rural conditions than they have. been
in the past and to that end have in
stalled very complete courses in man.
ual training and domestic science.
up also, but am perplexed as to best
method of doing it.
"Our city schools begin after the
growing season has closed and close
before the growing season has we'll
started. Because Of that, I do not see
how anything more than the theory
as given in elementary texts can be
presented. ..
IF we could have the boys for a
whole year and could afford the ex-
pense. we might have summer term
of practical agriculture taught by one
of your students. In this way we
could give the theory during the sec
ond semester and the actual work
during the growing season.
81 feel that it is very unsatisfactory
to teach elementary agriculture with
out the use OF experimental plots and
actual farm work The board is. very
anxious to do anything reasonable to
forward this work. but feel that we
should do something worth while II
we attempt anything. There has been
too much playing at doing things in
our public schools, The public is get
ting suspicious Of school innovations,
and cannot blame them.
IF you can suggest something
definite ana concrete that will help US
solve this problem, we shall be very
glad"
This, and other letters of like tenor,
caused President Worst to appoint a
committee which is now engaged in
the work Of laying out a practical
course to meet the conditions here
so we'll and clearly stated. The A. C..
expects within few weeks to be able
to give out to all wishing 1t the re-
suits of this committees work.