The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-01-09
THE OUTLOOK OF AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGES.
BY DEAN &. DAVENPORT,
University Of illinois.

ceedingly bright. Attendance of we'll
prepared and earnest students is now
assured. Agriculture has become,
thanks to the experiment station, a
well recognized university subject OF
high standing. Financial support Is
certain to continue, even to increase
as long as the colleges continue to
fulfill the promises SO ~abundantly
made.
Spectacular methods and superficial
ideals are rapidly being repudiated
alike by students, faculty, and farm
ers. Teachers and investigators are
preparing themselves better year by
year, and most of the younger men are
planning for or engaged in that ex-
tended study which will in due pro-
cess of time earn them the Doctors
degree-and this, too, without losing
sight of the real problems of the farm.
We seem to have passed the danger
of developing within the range of az.
riculture a kind of abstract science
| with but little real reference to the
farm, as we have also passed the day
| of dogmatic assertion and empirical
methods.
Congress left optional with the
| states whether the agricultural college
should be developed alone or in con-
nection with & university. AS a mat
ter Of fact, both methods were follow
ed in the various states. For a genera
ton the only real success attended the
colleges disconnected from other
forms Of education. 1t could nOt well
be otherwise under the conditions
| then prevailing. and all honor and
| credit are due to those worthy pio-
neers who so ably nourished this new
| idea into robust health and strength.
| Except for them it's development
would have been slow and long delay
| ed, if, indeed, it had not been crushed
| out entirely.
Agriculture a University Subject.
But with changing conditions. re-
| suits are different. Instead Of the ag.
| ricultural colleges of the universities
| being empty or filled only with a few
| winter students facetiously known as
| short-horns, they are now overrun
| with a body OF Well-preDared young
| people. Now that agriculture is ac-
cepted as a good university subject, #
has all the advantages of any other
subject. and its students profit much
b. the larger curriculum. the broader
| associations. and the wider election
| privileges Of Il university.
All things considered, at the present
moment the advantage is with the col
| lege which is a part of a good. state
university. permeated by what are
essentially its own. ideals, and with a
| practically unlimited range of SUBJ
| jects and interests represented on its
campus by nearly all classes OF edu-
| Gated people. Whether this advantage
is to remain with the universities no
| one can tell; but unfortunate for both
| classes of institutions. and for educa-
| ton in general. as we'll as for the
| state that is involved, is the contest
+! that is now developing In certain quar-
tiers, whereby there is danger that
| the agricultural college in one place
| and the university in another will
come to a trial of strength, or else
settle down to a condition OF armed
neutrality certain 10 work mutual in.
| Jury and to check development in the
state.
The college and its sister institu-
ton, the experiment station. We're or.
| ganized for instruction and research
| respectively. The results Of their Ia
bors in conjunction with many other
| economic and social Influences have
| created a public interest in agriculture
hat extends to all classes Of people,
demanding the greatest extent and
variety of service outside of the IN
| stitution. The old-time farmers In
stitute is giving place to the college
extension service, and that in turn.
almost before its complete organiza-
ton, is merging INFO a national system
of resident specialists with approx
mateiy n for each county. To for.
| ward this work state and federal leg
| islation is invoked in sums unheard Of
before and far exceeding those devot-
ed to the college and station work
proper. Not only this. but private en-.
terprise. commercial bodies, bankers
and manufacturers associations are
all coming forward with funds and
new plans for the college to carry out.
This call is more than the college
can meet; for its limitations are those
of the human beings that compose it,
and even now they carry on the in.
creasing work OF the colleges oaly
with the greatest difficulty and with
many breakdowns due to overwork.
All things considered, the outlook is
for a glorious future. and the historian
fifty years hence will discharge a
pleasant duty in making record Of the
richest half century of human pro.
gress along agricultural and human
istic lines. to the accomplishment Of
which the American agricultural col
lege will have contributed It's full and
proper shOre.-From an address dc.
livered at the Association of American
Agricultural Colleges and Expsrimens
Stations, Atl9nta, &C., Nov. IL. 1914