The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-24
HAS DONE MUCH TO KEEP THE
YOUTHS FILLING SOIL.
Davis Agricultural Bill as Help
to the Colleges; Fills in Gap;
It's Wise Provision.
IBY S. NJ. LADD.l

Washington, d. c., March 90
Minnesota occupies a prominent place
in the American system of agricul-
tural education, according to Off
Gals Of the United States depart
ment of agriculture i'm report re-
Gently issued. The North Star state
has been pioneer in advancing in
dustrial education and developing
a system extending from the rural
schools to the agricultural college,
with its highly specialized courses
for advanced students. Midway be-
tween the rural school and the col
lege is the agricultural high school,
strictly n Minnesota product. 1t is
the opinion of experts in agricul-
tural education that no other state
has done so much as Minnesota to
keep the boy and girl on the farm
and to arrest the movement of pop
ulation from the farm TO the over
crowded cities.
Sixty.Seven Colleges.
There are now in the United
States sixty-seven agricultural col
leges, organized under the acts of
congress of July 2, 1852, August 30,
1890, and March 4, 1907. Educa-
tional institutions receiving funds
from the federal government are
now in operation in all the states
and territories. except Alaska. Sixty
five of these institutions maintain
courses in agriculture.
Uncle Sam has been most liberal
with the states in the matter of
endowing the so-called "land-grant"
colleges. The original land-grant
fund was $13,236,304. The aggre-
gate value of the permanent funds
and equipment of these colleges and
universities in 1909 is estimated at
Sill, 8S2,687. The total income of
these institutions in 1909, when the
figures were last available, exclusive
of the funds received from the
United States for agricultural ex-
pertinent stations, amounted TO $751;
0S2,S54. The number of graduates
from these institutions in the year
named was $3.50, and since the or
ganization in 1862, S1,749. There
were 5,755 persons in the faculties
of the land-grant institutions.
Filling in the Gap.
About thirty years after the open
ing Of the first agricultural college
in this country, Minnesota came to
hn yryit txyyn NJ irwin, lf,,f.O
school. This school was to fill the
gap between the rural school on
the one hand and the agricultural
college on the other. 1t has more
than fulfilled the expectations of
its friends and advocates. The Min
nesota type of agricultural school
has furnished the pattern to other
states for secondary institutions.
The Minnesota school of agricul-
ture was established at ST. Anthony
Park in 1888, but its success was so
great that there are now at least
eighty agricultural high schools, TO-
gether with twenty-nine public high
schools, which are receiving state
sofa established second agricul-
tural school at Crookston. Of more
than passing interest is the infor-
nation that of the graduates from
the ST. Anthony Park agricultural
high school $40 per cent return to
practical farming. In addition to
this, 14.2 per cent are engaged in
pursuits directly pertaining to agri.
culture, making a total of 72.1 per
cent, broadly speaking, engaged in
agriculture.
Alabama was the first state to es-
tablish an agricultural high school
of the Minnesota type in each of
her nine congressional districts
Georgia was quick to follow the ex-
ample of her sister state and now
has eleven district schools.
Purpose of the Davis Bill.
1t is the Minnesota type of school
, which is aimed at in the Davis
agricultural bill now pending before
congress. 1t is the general pur-
pose of this measure to give federal
laid and cooperation, thereby hasten
ing movement in all of the states,
which without this assistance would
in all probability require a hundred
years to accomplish.
In Minnesota, within the last three
iyears, $4,000 was appropriated for
the introduction of agriculture, do
nestle sciences and manual train
ing into ten high schools, or consol-
idated rural schools, the state to
pay two-thirds of the expense of
this additional instruction, provided
each school employs trained instruc-
tors for the special subjects and
provides not less than five acres
of land for school gardens and dem
onstration purposes. Ten schools re-
ceived the benefit of this act in
1909, as follows: Albert Lea, Alex
andria, Candy, Glencoe, Hinckley,
Redwing and Wells, the high schools
and associated rural schools at Co.
kato and Mcintosh, and the CONSOLE
dated school at Lewiston.
Provision of the Bill.
In addition the act provides that
not to exceed ten schools may be
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