Report of the Director. 31 



shows that such result is secured. Aside from this, a reading-course 

 should set the reader straight on principles and should give him re- 

 liable information. It should not deal in news or discussion of 

 events. A reading-course enterprise should also include the subject 

 of travelling libraries. 



Our own reading-courses are two, each with its special publica- 

 tion or bulletins. Five bulletins have been published in each course 

 in the year 1905-6. It is expected that these bulletins (now number- 

 ing thirty in the Farmers' Course and twenty in the Women's 

 Course) will conclude the regular serial publication of new issues 

 of a bulletin character. It is the plan to keep these bulletins in stock 

 for use in starting off new readers. 



At May i, 1906, the statistics of the reading-courses stand as 

 follows : 



1. Readers in Farmers' Reading-Course 6,593 



Number of Clubs 44 



2. Readers in Farmers' Wives' Reading-Course 20,237 



Number of Clubs 46 



5. School Work. — The rural schools must look largely to the 

 colleges of agriculture for help and guidance. The normal depart- 

 ment of such a college should have its extension bureau. The 

 greatest problem in extension work at present is with the public 

 schools. This is particularly true in New York State, following the 

 adoption of the State syllabi for nature-study and agriculture. 

 This College should aid in working out the syllabi in the schools of 

 the State. 



The present nature-study enterprise of the College of Agriculture 

 falls under three heads, in the hands of three persons : gardens, by 

 John W. Spencer; Junior NaturaHst work, by Miss McCloskey; 

 correspondence instruction for teachers, by Mrs. Comstock. Follow- 

 ing are the statistics of this work. May i, 1906: 



1. Number of children registered as desiring to make 



gardens 28,168 



Number of teachers registered i>782 



2. Children enrolled in Junior Naturalist Clubs 25,111 



Number of Clubs 1.217 



Number of children's letters read i5>o64 



3. Rural school teachers of New York State enrolled in 



correspondence on nature-study 849 



Pupils enrolled in Clubs 129 



Colleges and libraries enrolled I44 



