Evening journal., 1913-10-24
STATE HELPS
RURAL DISTRICT
Minnesota Farmers Learn
How TO Make Country
Attractive
LARGE SUMS SPENT
BY STATE EACH YEAR

MINNEAPOLIS, MINI. Oct. "a
Minnesota ia eusily in the front rank OF
States that are alive TO the opportunity
of the country life movement, the social
and economic evolution now forward.
Indeed, students OF the aituation here
and elsewhere are inclined TO award
Minnesota the leadership.
Definite figures, however, arc difficult
TO obtain. In the matter of money
spent for agricultural education. for
example, the reports of the experiment
station service Of the Department OF
Agriculture at Washington are mislead-
ing.
When agricultural colleges and
schools are departments Of universities,
aa thev are in a number OF cases. tn,
expenditures are Jumped together in
such a way as 20 make exact reckoning
impossible. Even If the tables were
more carefully prepared. however, they
would not give all the facts, for Min
nesota is spending large sums on effec.
tive agricultural education through
agencies other than the agricultural de
partment of the state University.
Work Harmoniously
Furthermore. there are numerous
agencies, both state and private, doipc
much % forward the same cause, or the
general cause of the country life move
ment, whose expenses are not recorded
IN ional reports and these would
have TO be counted ht State seeking
to est blsh its position by the amount
of money spent
But Minnesota is not at all backward
in appr priating funds for so good a
cause and uesides, is using such funds
most economically. It's various agen.
cies. State and private. have so co-or9i-
mated their work that there is little
duplicating of effort, save where dupl-
cation is desirable Each agency has
its own work to do and is doing It with
zest and efficiency but each is ever
ready to lend assistance 10 any other
than II needs. This harmony Of effort
is. therefore, one of the things that
must be counted in placing Minnesota
as n leader in the movement.
The guiding agency Of all. however.
is the Minnesota college and schools
of agriculture, with the conioined ex-
pertinent stations and extension de-
partment.
The so-called college OF agriculture
is in reality a fourfold institution
There is first. the college of agricul-
ture proper. offering four years Of
study of university grade 70 gradu-
atess Of State or accredited high
schools. The aim of this IS to eauir
men for research and experimental
work and for the difhcult art o
teaching agriculture.
Along with this is the school o
agriculture. offering three years O
technical training to graduates q
the common schools TO prepare boy
and girls for practical work on IN
farm or in the farmhouses.
This school is divided or. II nigh
better be said. there are three sue
schools-the central school. at ST. An
thony Park. and two others, one a
Morris. in the west central part o
the State and another at Crookston
in the northwestern part of the State
OF the experimental stations, which
are seeking to solve the practica
problems of rural life there are six
The main station is at ST. Anthony
Park, working with the college and
others are at Duluth, Grand RAPIDS
Crookston. Morris and Waseca
lnstructs Farmers
The fourth department Of the system
Of agricultural education, centered AZ the
college of agriculture, is the extension
division. This arm is striving to carry
instruction 10 such farmers and farmers
families as cannot attend any of tho
schools It works through a system of
demonstration farms widely scattered
through short courses in agriculture snt
home economies, through numerous far
mers' Institutes, through a system o.
farmers clubs, through lecture courses
through countless bulletins and through
splendidlv equipped better farming
trains. The university proper supple
4 ments this kind Of work. too, with. NJ
university week" a travelling Chsutau
qua, which carries 70 outlying commu
mites exceptional lectures and entertain
ments of a kind to bind town and coun
try in closer union
Through this central agency. there
fore, hardly any part of tne state ca
4 escape repeated impetus in the line o
~ country life movement.
4 Minnesote's system of agriculture
4 training dos not stop. however. wit
F.. the college and schools Of agriculture
4 Agriculture, manual training and III
4 domestic sciences are being put int
more and more Of the country school
& every wear.
Effort of this kind is of two sorts
y There is first the consolidated school
4 The consolidated school serves a mum
t Der of the old-time school districts b
81 combining. such districts c1n have Ger
& tain liberal State aid and can bull
q modernlv equipped structures such a
q would do credit 10 cities in which Their
q is room for agricultural, manual train
4 ing and domestic science instruction
i The children arc carried 10 and fror
such schools in buses. In each Of thes
Il schools there is n man qualified 10 teac
Il the fundamentals of agriculture, and tn
q schools themselves become communit'
8 centers for furthering the whole coun
= trv life idea Along with these school
4 there are what are known as the indus
q trial high schools. In these agriculture
Il home or,,,,-t Z,