Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-07-21
The Work of the Department of Ag-
riculture of the State College,

the Department
Modern agriculture, whether the
term be restricted to it's narrower
use as meaning the growing of ordi-
nary farm crops or used in it's broad
er meaning to include all the activi-
tives of present-day farm life, has
two different, but not necessarily
separate, phases. 1t is first of all
a vocation, in the following of which
larger proportion of our people are
gaining a livelihood than in any
other single occupation From this
standpoint 1t may be regarded as an
art, the practice of which may be
skillful, or otherwise, depending up
on the experience or training of the
farmer who engages in it. But it is
also a science, offering a field of
study instruction, and research,
which is greater in its scope than
that of any one of the generally rec
ognized primary sciences, because
there must be brought to the solving
of its problems, the facts, hypothesis
and laws of practically all these
other fundamental sciences.
1t was formerly thought that skill
in the art, or practice, of agriculture
could only be acquired through long
experience in practical farming, or
training of single individuals at
home, on the farm, by actual prac-
tice under the supervision of the
father, who might be more or less
skilled in the art himself The
other purpose of this instruction is
to afford an opportunity for students
to undertake the study of the great
field of applied science known as ag-
riculture for the same reasons and
! by the same methods that they might
study any other science.
The agricultural work of the State
College of Washington is planned to
fulfill both of these purposes; that
is, instruction is offered both as vo-
cational training and as scientific
study It is possible for a student
to take work here for both these pur-
poses but the courses of study are
separate and distinct and the meth
DDS of instruction employed and the
fields of facts and phenomena to be
dealt with are different in each case.
Vocational training is offered both
for adult farmers who are now en-
gagged in the business, and for young
men and women who wish to fit
themselves for it.
For those who feel that they are
unable to afford the time or expense
of one or more years of school work,
there are special short courses con-
Quoted as part of the Winter
School of the college. 1t is planned,
also, to begin this year, to offer sim
liar short courses of instruction at
several other suitable points in the
state. in order to make it possib BILE
for farmers to attend and to secure
| the benefits of this limited and spec
ialized vocational instruction, with
/ out the expense of travelling long
! distances from home to do so. In
these short courses, lectures are
given by trained instructors in agri-
/ culture and these lectures are sup
plemented as far as possible by ac-
/ tual practice by each student in per-
/ forming, under the guidance and SUI
pervision of the instructor, the vari-
Gus operations OF soil testing, of
/ judging Of stock. seed, implements,
etc, of pruning, grating, budding
/ trees, etc, of spraying and other
methods OF combating crop pests, OF
manufacturing and testing dairy pro-
ducts, etc Little time is spent in
the study Of books. although oppor-
tunity is given 10 the student to be-
come as familiar as possible with
sources for printed information
which he may later wish to consult;
but large importance is given to the
actual performance of the operations
are now known. This type OF in
struction is quite different from that
formerly thought OF as going to
school. but is a legitimate, neces-
sary, and important field OF iastruc-
ton in agriculture by the college.
Z Dealing as It does. with methods OF
practice. IL does not require any
specific preliminary school training,
and men and women with all degrees
Of education from that Of only a few
grades In the public schools TO that
Of graduation from college or uni
versity. are enrolled and find that
the profit 10 he gained is measured
chiefly ~ their own desire and appli-
cation 20 the work offered.
For those who are able and willing
70 devote the necessary time, there is
/ lIered. ia the DEPARTMENT of