1 I find only
sixteen graduates who are farming and thirteen of these have other
occupations (principally teaching). The combination, I think, desirable
rather than otherwise. Three others are introducing cotton raising in
Africa under the German Government. From the industrial department nine
have received certificates in agriculture and six in dairying, but their
present occupations are not given. Asking a prominent man at Tuskegee
for the reason, he exclaimed, rather disgustedly, that they disliked
work and preferred to teach. This merely indicates the handicap Tuskegee
has to overcome, and perhaps the average agricultural college of the
North cannot show a higher percentage of farmers. An official of the
Department of Agriculture tells me that only 5 per cent of the graduates
of the agricultural colleges become farmers. To show how much
agricultural training is given at Tuskegee the following statement for
the year 1902-3 is of interest: No pupil is counted twice. One hundred
and eighty-one students are engaged in the actual operations of the
farm, truck garden, orchard, etc. Seventy-nine are taking the dairying,
etc., and 207 are taking agriculture as part of their academic work.
Yet, more of the graduates become professional men (lawyers, preachers,
etc.) than farmers, the proportion being about three to one. In citing
Tuskegee I am, of course, not forgetting that other schools, such as
Tougaloo and Talladega, have excellent farms and are seeking (though
their chief emphasis is elsewhere) to give agricultural training.

Reverting to the different lines of work which seem hopeful, the subject
may be subdivided into several sections. We have first to do with the
efforts to make the young child appreciate Nature and become interested
in her processes. Perhaps Hampton has developed this side most
extensively, both in the little garden plots cultivated by the children
and the nature study leaflets prepared for use in other schools.
Personally I can but feel that there is a possibility of vastly
extending such instruction by means of the country schools. If they may
be consolidated, and this is being done in many sections, I think a way
can be found to make the school house the social center of the district
in such a way as will greatly help conditions.

Actual instruction in practical farming, dairying, horticulture, etc.,
is given in an increasing number of schools, but the opportunities are
still very inadequate to