clxxviii Department of Rural School Education 



pieces of first-class mail were received, and al:)Out 3,000 typewritten letters 

 sent out. In addition, more than 2,000 circular letters were sent out. 

 All this is at present taken care of by one stenographer. Almost every 

 letter coming to our office should receive a personal answer, but we have 

 to neglect all except those requesting answers to some specific question. 



Children's letters. — During the year 6,307 letters were received from 

 boys and girls in the rural schools of the State. These were all carefully 

 read, technical questions answered, and the letters recorded. When any 

 child had written three letters a sm^ll gift picture was sent. One thou- 

 sand and six children wrote the three letters and received the picture. We 

 cannot encourage the correspondence with children in any personal way, 

 for we could not take care of the letters. To do this work properly would 

 require the entire time of a well-prepared person. 



Meetings attended 



Seven teachers' meetings were attended and addressed by Miss 

 McCloskey and one by Mr. Tuttle during the year 1911-1912, with a 

 total attendance of 2,000. 



Farmers' Week 



Headquarters for district superintendents and all persons interested in 

 agricultural education were established at the Rural Schoolhouse on the 

 campus during Farmers' Week in February, 1912. Meetings were held 

 twice daily, at which professors, educators, and others gave addresses. 

 Each session closed with an informal discussion. Over forty of the 

 district superintendents were present for all or part of the week. 



In addition to the educational meetings an exhibit of corn and of 

 nature-study specimens, as mounted and preserved by rural schools, was | 

 received and set up. So much material came in that there was not 

 sufficient space in which to display it. 



Bahcock test 



The three four-bottle Bakcock-test outfits owned by the Department 

 were put in circulation late in the year and one additional outfit wxis 

 purchased. In all, seven schools received the use of an outfit for a 

 month or more. 



Building 



It has been decided that the Rural Schoolhouse. which is the present 

 headc|uarters of the Department of Rural School Education, shall be 

 removed or torn down by April i, 1913. Nothing could be more 



