PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 573 



this country. To .stinuilato the more thorouj,*-!! organization and ('(inip- 

 nicnt of the college courses in atrronomy, a bulletin showing what has 

 been done in this branch ot" agiiculture at a ruunlxM' of oui- leading 

 colleges was issued during the past y(>ai- and has been \-ery favorat>Iy 

 received. Maii}^ of the colleges are oH'ei-ing short and special courses 

 to meet the needs of students who are unable to take the regular 

 courses. To meet the demand for information reiiardinu- these limit(>d 

 courses this Office has prepared a bulletin describing them as the}' 

 now exist in the several States. 



Following the publication of the outline secondary- courses in agri- 

 culture prepared by the conunittee on methods of teaching agriculture 

 (Oflice of Pl\i)eriment Stations Circ. 4!l), an article on the progress in 

 secondary education in agriculture was furnished for the Department 

 Yearbook for 1902, and the importance of this subject was thus pre- 

 sented to a wide circle of readers. By public addresses, correspond- 

 ence, and personal conferences active efforts are being made to 

 promote the movement for the establishment of secondar}' schools and 

 courses in agriculture in different parts of the countr}-. 



As regards the elementary schools, the efforts of this Office have 

 taken two directions — (1) to aid the already active movement for the 

 spread of nature-study courses in city and country schools and the 

 establishuicnt of school gardens in connection with such courses, and 

 (2) to promote the fornudation and introduction of elementary 

 courses in agriculture especially suited to the rural schools. Mr. 

 D. J. Crosby is giving special attention to this branch of our work. 

 Along these lines addresses have been given at the State teachers' 

 associations in New York and New Hampshire; ten teachers' institutes 

 in Missouri; the summer school for teachers at the Connecticut 

 Agricultural College; the teachers of the Disti'ict of Columbia ; the 

 assend)ly at Chautauijua, N. Y'.; the Brookline, Ahiss., Education 

 Association; the Kent Improvement Association at East (Jreenwich, 

 R. I., and the Maine State Pomological Society at Winthrop, Me.; 

 and in this way over 3,0o() teachers were reached. A large correspond- 

 ence on this sul^ject has also been carried on and numerous publica- 

 tions have been distributed. 



REPORT ON SCHOOL GARDENS. 



Actinji' as chairman of a committee on school t>frounds for the Anier- 

 ican Park and Outdoor Art Association, Mr. Crosby pr(>pared a re{H)rt 

 which was ))resent('(l at the convention of that association at Hutlaio, 

 N. Y., in 'July, 1JM)8. That portion of this report which relates to 

 school gardens is giv«'n herewith. 



With I'cference to the planting of trees and shrubbery it has been 

 found that in niatiy, probably the majority of instances, this work has 

 gone hand in hand with the establishment of school gardens — tiower 



