68 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ployed oui* women as instructors. So far as I can see at tlie present time, 

 Ave shall be able to supply all the teachers of agriculture that may be 

 needed for instruction in the public schools. 



VI. THE STATE SOCIETY FOR THE TROIMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



Tliis society Avas organized in 1009 and consists of the teachers of 

 agriculture, superintendents of schools, county school comlnissioners and 

 others who are interested in the extension of agricultural education. 

 This society held its annual meeting at the Agricultural College, the last 

 meeting being held on May 4th and 5th. 



Last fall at a meeting of the State Teachers' Association in Grand 

 Kapids a section of the State Association was organized known as the 

 section of Agricultural Instruction. This is the first time in the history 

 of the state tliat the State Assocation has recognized ofiflcially the 

 instruction of agriculture in the public schools. The officers for the 

 current year are — Chairman, W. H. French, East Lansing; Secretary, 

 Glen I. Hobbs of Three Elvers. 



The State Association, which met at the College on May 4th, 1917, 

 presented a vei-y able program, but gave particular attention to a dis- 

 cussion of the Smith-Hughes law relating to Federal aid for instruction 

 in agriculture and home economics. The officers elected for the ensuing 

 3'ear were: President, Geo. Gilbert of Gladwin, and Secretary L. K. 

 Service of Monroe. 



VII. VISITATION AND SUPERVISION OF SCHOOLS. 



In addition to the instruction along the line of teacher training, which 

 is assigned to the Department of Agricultural Education, the department 

 has a man supervise the instruction in agriculture in the high schools 

 of the state. The fifty-seven schools, A\'hich have been giving such in- 

 struction during the past year have been visited from one to three 

 times, all of them have been visited once and many of them two or three 

 times. In these visitations we observe the work and make suggestions 

 and recommendations to the superintendent and instructor concerning 

 text books, library equipment, field work and other things, which may 

 tend to improve the character of the instruction and make it more 

 effective. 



We receive a cordial welcome from the superintendents of schools and 

 I believe that this supervision work is of direct importance to the 

 Agricultural College, as through it we come in contact with the public 

 schools and secure instruction favorable to the institution that probably 

 could not be secured in any other way and I believe this to be of distinct 

 advantage to our institution. 



VIII. ASSISTANT OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



I cannot speak too highly of the work of Mr. E. Lynn Grover, Assistant 

 Professor of Agricultural Education. I consider him one of the strong- 

 est men in this line in the country. He has been untiring in his efforts 

 to supervise and improve the character of the agricultural instruction 

 in the high schools, and I have placed the development of the home 

 project work wholly in his hands. This work is going forward vigorously 



