390 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The Committee fuitber states that Teacher li should be na Aj^ii- 

 cultural College graduate and would ordinarily be a man who might 

 be principal of the school, while teachers A and C would ordinarily 

 be women. 



Concerning the value of the instruction the Committee has this 



to say: 



"Whenever the manual arts or the natural sciences are largely introduced 

 into high-school courses the practical effect is to reduce the amount of time 

 given to the ancient and modern languages. With improved instruction in 

 English and science the effect of this on the general training of the student 

 is not as marived as it might otherwise be, and whatever the theoretical peda- 

 gogical value of instruction in ancient or modern languages, there is little 

 doubt that when a choice has to be made between these subjects and those 

 which relate directly to the pursuit by which the pupil is to gain his liveli- 

 hood, it will in most cases be desirable that he shall choose the things of most 

 direct benefit in his life work. That it will not always be necessary for the 

 student of agriculture to entirely neglect the study of at least one ancient 

 or modern language in this high-school course, provided his tastes or attain- 

 ments lead him in that direction, may be seen from examination of the pro- 

 grams of courses presented herewith." 



"This is believed that the presentation of schedules as above justifies the as- 

 sertion that it is entirely practicable to adjust an agricultural course of high- 

 school grade to existing high-school schedules and to make this agricultural 

 course fairly satisfactory for the purposes of general training, as well as 

 elementary instruction in the theory and practice of agriculture. The graduate 

 of such an agricultural course may fairly be expected to understand the 

 scientific basis of improved agriculture and to have an intelligent appreciation 

 of the needs of a progressive agriculture. He will then be in position to profit 

 by the results of the investigations of the experiment stations and by the in- 

 formation regarding the progress of his art which may come to him from the 

 more intelligent of his neighbors, farmers' institutes, and good books and 

 journals. He will be likely to become an intelligent and progressive farmer as 

 well as a refined and useful citizen and home-maker." 



The Committee on Methods of Teaching agricultiiiG were, how- 

 ever, painfully aw'are that if progress in the introduction of agri- 

 culture in high schools was to be made, the subject matter must 

 be put into pedagogic form adapted to the needs of the high school 

 pupils. This has been done in some measure by the preparation of 

 two syllabi. One is entitled exercises in elementary agriculture with 

 a substitute plant production, written by Dick J. Crosb}^, and the 

 other is entitled a syllabus on Agronomy for Secondary Schools, 

 written by Professor G. F. Warren. These are intended as labora- 

 tory guides or manuals for the use of the teacher and not as text 

 books to be studied by the pupil. 



The pamphlet on elementary agriculture consists of 54 exercises 

 on such subjects as 



How roots absorb moisture. 



To show that plants get food from soil. 



To show the rise of water in plants. 



How plants grow. 



Seeds, germination test; purity test. 



To show how young plants get food from seeds. 



To make soft cuttings; hard cuttings. 



