STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 327 



Eight special agricultural scliools, representing six typical south- 

 ern States, were visited and tlieir methods studied in detail. Special 

 methods used in the tiaining of teachers of secondary agriculture 

 in six southern agricultural colleges were also studied. 



Three conferences of workers interested in secondary agricultural 

 education were held. At these conferences problems of supervision, 

 relationships of boys' and girls' club work to agricultural instruction 

 in the schools, and the reorganization of secondary courses in agricul- 

 ture were discussed. 



In cooperation with the Association of American Agricultural 

 Colleges and Experiment Stations a study of the question of college 

 credit for high school agriculture was made and the results pub- 

 lished. 



A report on secondary vocational agricultural instruction was pre- 

 pared for the Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary P^du- 

 cation of the National Education Association. 



During the past year 14 brief pedagogical statements on how 

 certain Farmers' Bulletins and professional papers issued by the 

 department may be used in connection with the teaching of agri- 

 culture in rural schools were published. 



After personal investigation and study manuscripts containing 

 courses in agriculture for the rural schools of Vermont and Vir- 

 ginia were prepared for publication through the cooperation of the 

 State agricultural college and State department of public instruc- 

 tion in the respective States. 



Four numbers of the Agricultural Education Monthly were pub- 

 lished, as were three numbers of a series of documents on secondary 

 agricultural instruction, which superseded the Agricultural Educa- 

 tion Monthly beginning with January. 



A one-year general course in agriculture was prepared for the 

 War Department. 



Two sets of lantern slides dealing respectively with agricultural 

 extension in secondary schools and the home project in teaching 

 agriculture were prepared. 



Demonstrations for the purpose of working out methods of teach- 

 ing practical agriculture and problems connected with its super- 

 vision were made at the Eighth District Agricultural School at 

 Manassas, Va. 



The year's studies and observations show in general that much more 

 systematic attention is being given to problems of agricultural educa- 

 tion from a practical standpoint by many schools. Interest in the 

 study of practical problems of agricultural instruction has been 

 greatly promoted and the development of agricultural schools with 

 practical aim and instruction materially aided. 



INVESTIGATIONS ON FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



J. M. Stedman, Farmers' Institute Specialist. 



In 17 States farmers' institutes are still conducted by the State 

 departments of agriculture, the commissioners of agriculture, or a 

 special State farmers' institute official, while in the remaining 31 

 States this activity has now been placed entirely in charge of the 

 extension division of the State agricultural college, where it forms a 



