586 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



heiision of tin- .^ultjcit as a wlmh' ami llic relations of its different parts should pre- 

 cede detaiU'il study of special topics iiiciiKlcd in this general subject. Thus it is ])e8t 

 hotli jtractically and i)edat;o<iically that the hoy in tlu^ j;rade<l scliools should 1)6 

 taught an outline of the history of the United States. He will thus acujuire a certain 

 amount of information whic^h will he useful to liim if he goes out into life from the 

 graded school, and he will also have laid the best foundation for such special studies 

 of Tainted States histi>ry as lie may have o|>|)ortniiity to ]iursue in higher courses of 

 instruction. Jn like maiiiii'r in tlie natural sciences there should he a sutlicient 

 period of general study before special topics are taken up, and the abridgment of 

 this preliminary course throws the future course of the student f)ut of pedagogical 

 balance. 



The general readjustments of science teaching which are demande<l by the j)resent 

 development of our a^ricuitural colleges are, therefore, first, the more thorough 

 teaching of the foundations of the natural sciences; secondly, the clearer differentia- 

 tion of the courses in natural science associated with the courses in agriculture from 

 those which are intemled for the training of experts in various ec(jnonn(; specialties 

 related to agriculture; and, thirdly, the separation from the science courses of those 

 subjects which may })e more appropriately taught by the instructors in the various 

 branches of agriculture itself. From the nature of the case it is obvious that the 

 details of these readjustments can be worked out only as the result of many experi- 

 mental efforts and long discussion of the practical and pedagogical points involved. 

 The evolutionary forces which are to result in the elaboration of more perfec-t and 

 satisfactory courses of instruction in agriculture are already at work in our agricul- 

 tural institutions and they will continue to wf)rk for an indefinite period. It has 

 seemed, however, to your conniiittee that at this juncture it would be helpful to call 

 attention to some of the general factors of this evolution and even to suggest a some- 

 what definite mode of procedure to secure the sought-for ends. In this, as in other 

 lines of its work, the committee has assumed that it would be more useful to present a 

 definite scheme rather than general suggestions. This is done with the maderstand- 

 ing, as heretofore, that the committee is not seeking to establish dogmas or write 

 prescriptions, Imt only to furnish a definite basis for discussion. It is the more 

 encouraged to continue efforts in this line because it is convinced that, as the result 

 of its previous efforts, the movement for the hetterment of courses of instruction in 

 our agricultural colleges has l)een materially aided, though no institution hasaxlopted 

 in detail the programme laid down in the reports of this committee. 



As the basis of our presentation of a scheme of science teaching for a four-year 

 college course in agriculture, we take (1) the standard entrance requirements laid 

 down in the report of your committee on entrance requirements as published in 

 Bulletin No. 41 of the Office of Experiment Stations; (2) the general outline of the 

 college course as made by that committee and our committee and published in Cir- 

 cular No. 37 of the Office of Experiment Stations; and (3) the syllabi of courses in 

 the different branches of agriculture as laid down in the reports of this committee 

 published in Circulars Nos. 39, 41, and 45 of said Office. 



The standard entrance requirement scheme has been taken, rather than the 

 abridged scheme presented by the entrance requirement committee, because in our 

 judgment there can be no satisfactory arrangement of college courses in agricul- 

 ture until the students admitted to the college courses have had suitable prepara- 

 tion in secondary schools. Within the past few years there has been a wonderful 

 development of the high schools in all parts of our country and there has been set on 

 foot a movement f(.)r the establishment of secondary schcjols and courses especially 

 adapted to the requirements of our agricultural communities. The agricultural col- 

 leges should encourage this development of secondary education in many ways. But 

 they should do so especially by differentiating their college courses more <listinctly 

 from secondary courses, and putting their college courses on a sufficiently high basis 



