Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-04-07
EVOLUTION OF AGRICULTURE AND
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY c. l.. SMITH,
Agriculturist of the O-W. r. & n. Co.
(The first Of a series of three artiCles.)
BY c. l.. SMITH,

cation has been quite as radical as
that of agriculture itself The mis-
takes that have been made have been
in a large measure due to a wrong
point of view. The major portion of
the men engaged in the work relied
too much upon textbooks and theo-
retical deductions from laboratory
experiments, handicapped by tradi-
ton and prejudice. The so-called
colleges Of agriculture turned out
teachers, preachers, merchants, bank
ers and odd job men, but very few
real farmers. Experiment stations
we're established, but the experiments
conducted were more often for the
purpose Of demonstrating some pet
theory rather than the solution Of
practical problem Of soil manage
ment stock feeding or crop rota-
ton. Even when some valuable fact
was demonstrated. some important
problem solved, the manner in which
the knowledge gained was given out
failed to attract the attention or
arouse the interest Of the average
farmer.
Some thirty years ago . supple
ment to the agricultural college en-
tered the field called the farmers
institute" which aimed to carry to
the farmer by word of mouth the re-
suits of experiment station work in
combination with the experience,
methods and practices Of successful
farmers. This attracted attention.
aroused interest and stimulated scien-
tific research. It also developed the
fact that the most successful and
popular institute lecturer was the
man who brought the story Of q
farmer working under farm condi-
tions, and told in terms familiar to
the farmers themselves. rather than
the college professor who detailed
the results of experiments worked
out by the expert and paid for by the
state or nation.
Tradition. prejudice, and point of
view here became apparent in the
fact that where the farmers insti-
tutes" were under independent man
agement, such az boards of agricul-
ture," institute boards" or other or
CARNATIONS. they were much more eff
fective and popular than where the
management was under control of the
agricultural college or university.
The next step in the evolution was
the demonstration farm" where the
sub-experiment station came a step
nearer to the farm practice and farm
conditions. Then the demonstration
train," sort Of demonstration farm
and farmers institute on wheels.
Then farm demonstration" work, a
long stride ahead, as the expert here
took the best known methods, a. de-
termined by experiment and research
work. and practical farm experience,
and showed the farmer how to apply
this knowledge to his own work on
his own farm. It took only so years
for the agricultural educator to travel
from the lecture room to the potato
field-then the county Agricultural
advisor" who becomes a sort of con-
Meeting link between the department
Of agriculture. the agricultural COL
lege. the experiment station, the most
successful farmers and farmers of
county or district.
Each of these movements has had
q marked influence upon the system
of education, not only in the colleges
but in the public schools.
1t has resulted in q radical change
Of public sentiment toward education.
1t has correlated the best thought of
men and women on the value Of
utility education-the learning to do
useful things. 1t has dignifed labor,
made farming one of the learned pro-
fessions. 1t has emphasized the fact
that there are other things in life be-
sides money worth thinking about
and worth working for.
The interest in these problems is
widespread and rests on the fact that
agriculture is the basic industry of
the state and nation and that the ma
terial, social and spiritual develop
ment must 60 hand in hand II civili-
xation is to endure.
Teachers. preachers and farmers
should be ever mindful of the fact
that
New occasions teach new duties;
Time makes ancient good uncouth.
They must upward still, and onward,
Who would keep abreast Of truth"
Want Mortgage Cancelled.