OFFICE OF EXPEEIMENT STATIONS. l75 



and science buildings, and at the Virginia Agricultural College and 

 the University of Tennessee new and commodious barns have been 

 erected, each costing about 15,000. At the latter institution a dairy 

 building is in process of construction. At the Agricultural College 

 of the Uuiversit}'- of Minnesota a horticultural-botanical building 

 costing $35,000 has been erected. 



The movement for the division of the general subject of agriculture 

 into specialties to be taught b}' different instructors still continues. 

 More frequently' than formerly teachers in the agricultural colleges 

 are being given opportunities to increase their special training for 

 their work by leaves of absence for advanced study at American and 

 foreign institutions. The colleges have been greatly encouraged by 

 the recent attitude of this Department in this matter. The fact tliat 

 the Department is opening its doors more widely for the teachers and 

 graduate students of the agricultural colleges is felt to be not only a 

 direct benefit to the individuals who can avail themselves of these 

 privileges, but also of wider importance to the cause of agricultural 

 education as a stimulus to the fixing of a higher standard for the 

 training of the teachers and investigators in these institutions. 



While the agricultural colleges are thus strengthening their staffs 

 and facilities, thej' are at the same time taking a wider interest in the 

 education of the masses of the agricultural population. They are 

 coming to see more clearh' that their influence should be directlj^felt 

 througliout the communities in which they are located. They are 

 therefore more generally engaged in work connected with the farm- 

 ers' institutes, reading courses in agriculture, and the introduction 

 of nature study in the rural schools with a view to increasing interest 

 in this university extension work in agriculture. To aid this move- 

 ment this Office has published during the past year bulletins on farm- 

 ers' reading courses and farmers' institutes, i)repared by Prof. L. H. 

 Bailey, of Cornell Universit3^ The work of the College of Agriculture 

 of Cornell University in the promotion of nature teaching in the 

 schools of the State of New York has been actively continued during 

 the past year and on a larger scale than ever before. In a number of 

 other States a movement for the introduction of nature study into 

 the rural schools is in progress. In this movement the agricultural 

 colleges are taking a ijrominent part. In this way the public is being 

 shown that the teaching of young children regarding the natural 

 objects and phenomena about them may be so. conducted as to lead 

 them to see that a knowledge of nature may be of practical benefit. 

 Their minds will thus be earl3' trained to recognize the intimate rela- 

 tions between scientific and practical knowledge as applied to the art 

 of agriculture. AYithout doubt this will lead to a desire on the part 

 of many young peoj)le to undertake courses of study in agricultural 

 schools and colleges. The nature-study movement will thus con- 

 tribute to a broader development of agricultural education. 



The number of farmers' institutes held in this country during the 

 past 3'ear exceeded that of previous years, and the aggregate attend- 

 ance of farmers was larger. There are many indications that these 

 institutes have by no means reached their final stage of development. 

 One of their greatest needs at present is a more thorough organiza- 

 tion and the development of a regular staff of instructors and lectur- 

 ers. The demands made upon college and experiment-station officers 

 for attendance at the institutes are already too great for them to meet 

 in any adequate waj'. Too often they are compelled to sacrifice the 

 interests of their regular work in order to attend the institutes. It is 



