SCIENCE & THE COUNTRY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 51, 28 August 1914, Page 2

SCIENCE & THE COUNTRY

RESEARCH AND ITS VALUE. LECTURE BY PROFESSOR BAILEY. The modern congestion of population in the cities and the possibility of reducing it by activity in- scientific research were dealt with in a very interesting lee J ture at Victoria College last evening. The lecturer was Professor L. Bailey, director of the School of Agriculture ut Cornell University, and president of the j Country Life Commission set up by exPresident Roosevelt. Dr. Cockayne pre* eided. ' * Professor Bailey explained that what was known as the "country life movement" was different from the "back to the land" movement, in that the latter waa concerned with the movement of population, the former with the transference of idea's and sympathies. To compel people to live in the country by any legislative means was impracticable j and the aim! of the country life movement was to make rural pursita as at- ', tractive as life in the cities. One of the essentials to bring about this result was ! a proper sympathy and mutual understanding between rural and urban residents ; and that depended greatly upon the method of education. The time had arrived when the scKools should give mea a practical training for life. In the universities, research work had achieved wonderful popularity, and in respect to country lifo and work, it was of great value. Its development wa« becoming very broad, and it waa applied to farming methods, farm engineering, plantbreeding, and many other subjects. The United States Congress, in 1862, had set . aside 30,000 acres in each State to be. sold to provide for the establishment of a college of agriculture and. mechanics, and followed this with two grants of money. In 1887, £15,000 was given to each ' State for the establishment of an experimental station attached to each college. In 1912, £6000 was voted to each State to carry on research work in reference to occupations. Thus there had been set up a series of institutions dealing with agricultural education and research This research work was not necessarily intended to produce farmers. Ib added to* the bulk of human knowledge, and in that respect, like research in any other branch of science, it was of great value to the race.