DAVIS] DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL AGRli ULTURE igi 



school grounds into a place of beauty is sufficient justification for 

 such work in rural schools. It may also help dispel the idea that 

 any place will do for a school, and may help also in creating a 

 community pride in the school grounds. 



Concerning elementary agriculture opinions as well as plans 

 are widely different. In many schools, as has been said, it is a 

 required subject. Texts are adopted, a place is made in the 

 program, and classes are formed. Frequently the text is followed 

 in detail and studied as are many other things, with little atten- 

 tion paid to the real subject as it might be presented, if its possi- 

 bilities were really comprehended. 



It is the observation of the majority of school men that teachers 

 do not feel prepared to present the subject other than to follow 

 the text, and that it thus sim.ply adds to the already crowded 

 course of study. 



At present, one of the most satisfactory plans followed is the 

 use of bulletins and pamphlets sent out by the agricultural exten- 

 sion departments of universities and colleges. These publica- 

 tions are full of suggestions that may be carried out and yet not 

 necessarily add to the number of studies in the course. Boys' 

 clubs are organized, and actual work is done in the summer vaca- 

 tion that gives the boys insight into methods of cultivation, 

 kinds of soil, methods of treating the soil, best means of caring for 

 crops, etc. Competition is encouraged by prizes, and the older 

 members of such communities where this work is done are aroused 

 and take new interest in the possibilities of careful methods of 

 cultivation and seed selection. 



The best work is being done in those country schools where soil 

 and plant life are studied incidentally with nature-study, geo- 

 graphy and kindred subjects. No place can have more ideal con- 

 ditions for such work than the country district. Everything 

 needful is to be found first hand, and bulletins suggest many help- 

 ful and profitable experiments that may be performed at practi- 

 cally no expense. Many teachers are solving the problem of 

 handling schools at noon and recess periods during bad weather 

 by exciting interest in such experiments. 



Agricultural instruction in the country schools is a problem 

 that is not yet solved and cannot be solved by the teacher alone. 

 But it is not left entirely to the teacher to work without aid. 

 There is an increasing demand being made by the people for such 



