PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 623 



The Counectic-ut Agiicultund Collei^e has done practically the same 

 thin^ by providing a special group of studies for students coming 

 from the common schools. At the New Mexico Agricultural College 

 agriculture is now successfully taught in the preparatory^ department. 

 B3' these means the colleges are not only differentiating secondary 

 instruction in agriculture from the instruction of collegiate grade, l)ut 

 are also aiding the movement for the estal)lishment of separate agri- 

 cultural high schools. Their work in formulating and successful!}^ 

 putting into operation definite secondar}' courses in agriculture is 

 therefore of nuich genci-al importance as a fac'tor in broadening the 

 scope of agricultural education in this countr}'. 



THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 



The attendance at the two county agricultural high schools opened 

 in Wisconsin in the fall of 1902 at Menominee (PI. LI) and Wausau 

 (PI. LIT), and described in the report of this Office for that year, was 

 large, and the interest manifested in these schools was so great that 

 the State legislature at its last session, recognizing the demand for 

 instruction of this grade, made provision for additional county agri- 

 cultural high schools with State aid. 



The California Polytechnic School (PI. LIII), located at San Luis 

 Obispo, was opened October 1, 1903. This is a State institution estab- 

 lished under an act of the legislature passed March 8, 1901, to take 

 effect January 1, 1902. As stated in this act, "the purpose of the 

 school is to furnish to young people of both sexes mental and manual 

 training in the arts and sciences, including agriculture, mechanics, 

 cnirineorinii-, business methods, domestic economv, and such other 

 branches as will tit the students for the nonprofessional walks of life." 



On makino; a careful survev of the educational institutions of the 

 State, the trustees found that the greatest need was for a secondary 

 school, giving boys and girls ''a training in the arts and sciences which 

 deal peculiarly with countrv life — the life of the home, the farm, the 

 orchai'd, the dairy, and the shop.'' Agriculture, domestic science, and 

 mechanics were therefore made the main lines of instruction in this 

 school. A farm of 280 acres was purchased and on this two principal 

 ])uildings have been erected. 



The recitation and administration ))uilding is 47 by 100 feet, with a 

 stone foundation reaching to the iirst floor. 



The rciiiainder of the structure is of wood, covered witli a metal lath and cement. 

 The roofing i.s of metal tile. The basement contains a temi)orary dairy room, a tem- 

 porary carpenter shop, storage rooms, and a general lavatory for boys. The first 

 floor c<intains the director's offices, library, lecture room and laboratory for chem- 

 istry and physics, lecture room and lai)oratory for botany and entomolf)gy, photo- 

 graphic dark room, and girls' cloakroom and lavatory. The .second floor contains 

 an assembly room, with dressing room, two drawing rooms, and two class rooms. 



