l62 REPORTS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



superintendent of education. This investigation has for its purpose 

 the showing of — 



a. The origin, evolution, and present status of common-school 

 ideals as found in the intensive stud}' of a typical unit of rural 

 territory in Michigan. 



b. The exact educational history in detail of every child of school 

 age in the distinctly rural school districts of the chosen unit of 

 territory for a given school year. 



c. The academic, professional, and character qualifications of the 

 teachers in the distinctly rural schools of the chosen unit of territory. 



d. The area, valuation, rate of school tax, condition of school 

 property and equipment, educational standards, and cooperative 

 social activities of the distinctly rural common-school districts of the 

 chosen unit of territory. 



c. The effect upon local and general public educational sentiment 

 and activity of the publication in tabulated detail and proven sum- 

 maries of the fundamental facts determining the educational oppor- 

 tunities of the children of distinctly rural communities. 



All these points will show distinctl}' the movement in an agricul- 

 tural territory toward better farming methods and the relations of 

 the farming population to economic development. 



President Butterfield is also conducting an inquiry through Prof. 

 J. E. Pope, of the University of Missouri, into the history and status of 

 the economic and social relations of the agricultural industry of that 

 State, while Prof. T. N. Carver, of Harvard University, is investigat- 

 ing the economic characteristics of the agricultural industry ; and 

 Mr. Charles S. Potts, of the State Agricultural College of Texas, is 

 investigating the economic and social relations of the agricultural 

 industry in the Brazos \'alley, Texas. 



Division III. — Mining. 



Mr. Edward W. Parker reports much progress by chapters con- 

 cerning the mining industry, having at his command the very best 

 opportunities for his investigation in addition to the specific studies 

 which he is conducting. These relate to a very vigorously pushed 

 work relative to iron-ore mining, by Prof. C. K. Leith, of the Uni- 

 versity of Wisconsin, and a history of the copper-mining industry, 

 by Dr. M. N. BoUes, Columbia School of Mines ; lead and zinc, by 

 Mr. Walter Renton Ingalls, of New York City, one of the recognized 

 authorities on the mining and metallurgy of lead and zinc ; precious 

 metals, by Mr. J. F. McClelland, associate professor at Columbia 



