332 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The committee on graduate stud}^ reported progress in the organi- 

 zation of the next Graduate School of Agricuhure, which was 

 held at loAva State College at Ames, with A. C. True of this office as 

 dean. A plea was made for more general subscription for the sup- 

 port of the school. 



The report of the committee on instruction in agriculture, pre- 

 sented by A. C. True, briefly referred to a proposed outline of courses 

 in animal husbandry and dairying. Dr. True also presented a brief 

 report for the committee on history of agricultural education, embody- 

 ing certain data regarding the early development of agricultural edu- 

 cation in Illinois, Michigan. New York, and South Carolina. 



The following resolution, originating in the college section, was 

 adopted by the association: 



That it is the sense of this association tliat the national laws which constitute 

 the charter of the land-grant colleges distinctly prescribe work of collegiate 

 grade in agriculture and the mechanic arts, including engineering in all its 

 branches, and the science related to the industries, irrespective of whether the 

 colleges are established separately or as parts of universities. 



An interesting discussion of the important subject of agricultural 

 education in secondary schools was opened by Dr. True, in a paper in 

 which he reviewed the present status of the subject, classified the in- 

 stitutions giving secondary instruction in agriculture, and suggested 

 ways in which such instruction could be developed in harmony w'ith 

 the present educational systems of the country. He summed up his 

 views of what he considered perhaps ideal conditions as follows : 



Agriculture, including horticulture and forestry, should be a regular part of 

 public secondary education ; second, the unity of our educational system should 

 be maintained, but there should be sufficient elasticity of curriculum to meet 

 the various needs of our people; third, the standard of the curriculum of 

 secondary schools having agricultural courses should conform in a general way 

 to those adopted for the general school system of the State ; fourth, the stand- 

 ard agricultural courses, whether in the ordinary high schools or in special 

 schools, should not be narrowly vocational, but should aim to fit the pupils for 

 life as progressive, broad-minded, and intelligent men and women, citizens and 

 home makers, as well as farmers and horticulturists. 



Some disapproval of separate and distinct agricultural high schools 

 was expressed in the general discussion which followed, but there 

 seemed to be quite general agreement that in any case the agricultural 

 instruction should be carefully coordinated with the existing educa- 

 tional systems. L. H. Bailey, of New York, thought that in the dis- 

 cussion of this subject a clear distinction should be made between 

 what is strictly secondary instruction and what is merely special 

 training. The importance of separate agricultural high schools as 

 finishing or vocational schools, and as a means of training teachers 

 of agriculture for the elementary schools, was also brought out in 

 the course of the discussion. The general views expressed in Dr. 



