P^ICULTU^L.
® ® ®
T is the purpose and object of
the Agricultural Department
of this institution to so combine
scientific and practical agriculture
that young men desiring to follow
this occupation may be best fitted
to accomplish their purpose. This
department is now being favored
with an increased enrollment of
students each year. The number
taking the course last year were as
follows: First class, 4; Second
class, 9; Third class; 34; besides
a large number in the Fourth
class, which includes students of
all courses. Sfill many farmers’
sons do not take this course, for
the simple reason that the major
ity of the practical farmers of the
state do not understand how
farming can be taught in schools
and colleges, as they cannot com
prehend how physics, chemistry,
botany and other scientific studies
relate to farming, and therefore
do not encourage or advise their
sons to follow this course.
WHAT THE COURSE INCLUDES.
Students taking this course re
ceive a fair knowledge of chemis
try, mathematics, soil physics,
history, physiology, veterinary
medicine, English grammar, phy
sics, and in addition to the above
receive instruction by a series of
lectures on grasses and forage
plants, irrigation and drainage,
dairying, stock breeding, feeding,
breeds of stock and farm man
agement. Practical illustrations
are made of all subjects taught in
the class rooms and the students
are given opportunity to prove
what has been learned. For in
stance in cheese making, after
learning all he can from the text
books and lectures received relat
ing to this subject, the student
proceeds to the dairy and is given
charge of a vat holding several
hundred pounds of milk, and is
required to heat the milk to the
proper temperature, add pepsin
in the right proportion and at the
proper time, to cut the curd,
drain off the whey, determine the
acid in the curd, grind and salt it,
and lastly to fill into cheese
moulds and put in the cheese
press. I have not mentioned all
the details connected with cheese
making, but have only given a
general idea of what the student
is actually required to do in prac
tice work. All practice work, of
course, is under the direct super-