Report of the Director 



xli 



Rural Leaders' Training Conference. — For several years the College 

 has been urged to establish a school for social workers in rural com- 

 munities. To meet this demand there was held in July, 191 1, the first 

 of a series of training conferences of rural leaders. The school lasted for 

 eight days, and consisted of three regular class periods in the morning, 

 two in the afternoon, and one each evening. The subjects considered were 

 the psychology of leadership, the rural mind, rural sociology, the country 

 community and community consciousness, health, education, industry, and 

 socialization. A more advanced course was held the past summer, between 

 Commencement and the beginning of the Summer School. Additional 

 attention was given to the questions of leadership, the country community, 

 and rural sociology, and a new course in rural economics will be added. 

 The Conference is intended for rural ministers, school principals and 

 teachers, editors, secretaries of rural young men's Christian associations, 

 officers of granges and men's brotherhoods, and other active workers 

 who are interested in helping to erect the best human society on the 

 foundation of a good agriculture. 



THE winter-courses 



It is often said that the winter-course work will cease to be a part of 

 the College of Agriculture. This is an error. The character of the work 

 will change, but there will always be a strong demand for short terms to 

 enable the people of the State to keep in touch with new facts and forward 

 leadership. The winter-course students will gradually assume the nature 

 of brief-course specials. The greater the extension of agriculture in the 

 public schools, the greater also will be the necessity for brief and more 

 advanced instruction at the College. 



Winter-course students are very various in age, preparation, and attain- 

 ments. The following table exhibits some of these conditions : 



Statistics of Students in Winter-Courses, 1911-1912 



Number of men , 



Number of women 



Number of students from New York State. 



Number of students from other States 



Number of students from foreign countries . 



Average age 



Nationality : 



Americans 



Armenians 



Austrians 



Canadians 



Dutch 



English 



Germans 



General 

 Agri- 

 culture 



191 



2 



176 



15 



2 



22 



IS6 



Dairy 

 In- 

 dustry 



91 



I 



85 



6 



I 



22 



78 



Horti- 

 culture 



S6 

 12 

 52 

 14 

 2 

 26 



51 

 I 



Poultry 



Hus- 

 bandry 



48 

 9 



56 

 I 



26 

 48 



Home 

 Eco- 

 nomics 



32 



26 



3 



3 



27 



25 



Totals 



386 

 S6 



395 



39 



8 



24 



358 



1^ I 



I 



5 



4 



18 



IS 



