The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-04-07
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
AWAkENs TO NEW LIFE

At the Board OF Commerce luncheon
Wednesday President II. $. Barker OF
State University. gave a very interest
ing talk regarding the growth OF State
University in the past five years. He
talked especially OF the Agricultural
College and the extension work, Civ
ing exact figures upon which his state
ments were based. When President
Barker came TO State University in
1911 there were enrolled a total Of 1886
students At present the registration
books show an enrolment OF i,i75, or
exactly 100 per cent increase in i've
years.
The Agricultural College was estab
lished in 1878 as the Agricultural and
Mechanical College OF Kentucky and
from this the great university has
grown, offering. as II does, courses In
ill the principal vocations OF life. Al
though the Agricultural College was
well supported until recent years very
few students pursued the course lead
ing TO a degree in agriculture In 1898,
twenty years after the college was es-
tablished the first student graduated
with a degree During the next Ave
Years one HLuutUI was fsAAh
year and not until 1911 were more than
four students graduated in a class. The
class OF 1911 took away six agricultural
graduates. In 1912 Ave were graduated
and from this time we find steady
increase. In the years 1918, 1914 and
1915. respectively, the number gradu-
ating were IL. IS. 81 and the class Of
1916 Will have So. This college has
graduated seventy-fve students in the
last five years, as against twenty-one
during the first thirty seven years OF
operation.
Especial attention is being given tho
extension work. as this branch puts tho
entire rural population In direct con-
nectiOn with the men who are able 10
help them Men are stationed IN the
field and actually do the operations for
the farmers on their own farms. This
branch Of the work includes county
agents, pig clubs, canning clubs. poul-
try clubs and IN fact. all sorts OF or
gnnizatlons which viii tend To advance
the agricultural interests ~ the State
This wide field OF work Is made pos
slble through the Smith Lever bill. By
this act OF Congress each state In the
union is given the fiat sum Of $4,000
annually and In addition 10 this sum
an increase yearly in proportion Of the
rural population OF the state compared
with the United States. The per cent OF
rural population OF Kentucky bears 20
the United States is 3.5i. This addi-
tional sum is given provided the State
appropriates an equal sum, In other
words, the state from some source.
must put up dollar for dollar an amount
equal to the sum created in relation TO
per cent OF population With this
amount increasing each year the fu-
ture offers many possibilities for agri-
cultural extension.
The last Legislature made appropria
tons and alterations sufficient TO OBJ
tain the additional sum from the Fed
eral Government for the next two years
The exact amounts Kentucky viii
receive cannot be determined more
than one year ahead, but approxima-
lions up to 1923 have been made and
show the following results: In l9l4-lb
the State received only the fiat $4,000
sum. which every state receives. With
the General Assembly keeping up the
appropriations Kentucky will have the
following amounts for yearly expendi-
lures: In i9i5-i6. s76.0Ss; 1861.