362 REPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



some of the laboratory apparatus although even in this he may be 

 fairly skillful since the use of such material is now quite common in 

 high schools as well as in some of the better class of lower graded 

 schools. The text of the lecture, the outline of the practicum, and 

 the course of reading are all independent of the qualifications of the 

 leader. These, as has been stated, have all been prepared by experts 

 and need only to be presented. 



Such difficulties as the leader might experience at the outset in 

 directing the class could be referred to the extension department for 

 solution, and would be overcome as he gained experience and was 

 brought in contact %vith the various problems that the coiu-ses involve. 

 He certauily coidd render himself competent after he had opportu- 

 nity to attend the summer school for teachers at the college, and had 

 studied the coiu^e mth access to all of the apparatus and appliances 

 requu-ed, and under the supervision and aid of expert professors at 

 the institution. The range also of any single course is comparatively 

 narrow, and consequently could be mastered f au'ly well by an intelli- 

 gent and experienced man by study and the performance of the prac- 

 tice exercises required. 



When experience has been gained the leader may find it to his 

 advantage to organize and conduct other classes in his county or 

 elsewhere, and thus continue his work through a considerable portion 

 of the year. If the matriculation fee were made as much as 50 cents 

 per pupil per day the income from a class of 15 persons for 20 days 

 woidd be $150, a sum sufficient to pay the salary of the leader and 

 such incidental expenses as might have to be met. 



Summer school j or class leaders. — ^A summer school at the agricid- 

 tural college should be held for the preparation of teachers for exten- 

 sion work in connection with the correspondence courses, and for 

 giving instruction in winter agricultural schools, confuimg the teach- 

 ing to the particular Ime that the student expects to follow and to 

 the laboratory exercises necessary for that school. 



If, for instance, an individual wished to become the leader of an 

 extension class in the study of poidtry, his work at the siunmer 

 school woidd be confiend to the outline of study prepared for this 

 course including its laboratory work, class room study and reference 

 readmg. He would receive at the completion of his studies a certifi- 

 cate of proficiency in the subject of poidtry. In like manner leaders 

 in other lines of education extension woidd be instructed and certified. 



Offi.ce force. — The number of high-priced experts requu-ed to oversee 

 such a system can be comparatively small, since most of the examina- 

 tion work will be at the headcjuartcrs of the extension department, 

 where the papers can be distributed among inexpensive clerks to note 

 their defects and rate them according to their excellence. By 

 limiting each clerk to the examination of certain queries, he Avill 

 soon become expert in discovering ami noting erroi*s in those direc- 



