Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1917-02-01

TO teach the science Of the Oldest pro.
fession Of man. but II IL grim though
|regrettable truth. Agricultural educa-
|tion IL modern enterprise. The old.
lest agricultural college In the United
States Il Just . little over fifty years
LOT age, and the most Of them were
established several years after the
war between the states, and only q
small number Of them made any prog
ress in teaching agriculture until very
recently. Naturally large majority
|of the young men who attended the
universities that accepted the dona-
|tions under the land grant act took
|up the more popular courses Of law.
medicine and the other learned pro-
fessions." At Cornell University, one
Of the first great universities to equip
Itself for thorough courses in all the
branches Of agriculture, the number
|of agricultural students never reached
| In any one year as many as thou.
sand until short while ago. At the
A. and M. College Of Texas the num-
Der Of boys taking agriculture was In
significant until about eight years
ago. The department Of agriculture
lat Washington has never been able to
make up its corps Of workers in the
various lines OF agriculture, animal
|busbandry, etc., with graduates from
the agricultural colleges. In order to
I'LL the places in agricultural work
under the Smith-Lever act the author
tiles have been compelled to 90 out
after astucious business men and
school teachers. and others whose
training for organizing purposes may
have been excellent. but whose knowl.
edge Of agriculture must be picked up
as they run. Nobody Is to blame par
tlcularly for this destitution Of agri-
cultural efficiency except the old no.
ton that q knowledge Of the proper
angle of scootre pillow and the hab-
It's and instincts Of q mule was the
browning achievement Of agricultural
education. Our agricultural colleges
have not as yet appealed to . fair
quota Of the brightest intellects
among the candidates for higher edu.
cation. There is not an agricultural
college In America that Is not in need
Of better trained men to teach the va
rious branches Of agriculture. This
is not true Of each position In all the
colleges. as there are few able men
engaged In teaching agriculture In q
majority Of the land grant colleges.
The contrast between the prepare
ton Of men to teach agriculture and
the long established university sub
jects is apparent. and needs no fur
Their explanation than the statement
OF the plain fact that competition fol
places in colleges and universities &c
teach these subjects is OF the keenes
nature. The number OF thorough,
educated men available to teach the
academic courses. although they ar,
not as numerous as the sands OF IN,
sea. are far and away out OF proper
ton to the number OF ill-prepared mer
to teach agriculture. For this yer,
reason the extreme scarcity OF men I,
teach the various branches OF agricul
ture keeps down competition for thes,
places and keeps salaries out OF pro
portion to those OF men who hay,
spent far more time and money n
preparation for purely academic sub
jects.
This condition is going to continu,
until we can induce larger per cen
OF the bright and ambitious youn,
men OF the country to take up III,
study OF agriculture. and no very larg,
per cent OF them will be willing L
choose II as lifetime profession un
I'll our agricultural colleges are equip
ped to give them a course worthy o.
their highest efforts and In keepin,
with the high standard OF scholar
ship required In other lines. We al
know we'll the sentiments OF ambi
tious young men. The brighter ant
the more ambitious they are the NOR,
apt they are TO choose the places tina,
require the largest effort. although
the compensation In dollars and cent,
may be more In other lines.
The crying ncea OF Texas Just nov
Is an agricultural and mechanical col
lege that win challenge the highest
admiration OF the enlightened peopl,
everywhere-onc that will be able tc
turn out the product thoroughly fin
lshcd. We have too long depended