Summer Meeting. 103 



AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS. 



Numerous books have been published giving suggestions in nature 

 study, observations of plants and animals. These will give valuable 

 suggestions to an enthusiastic teacher. It would be a mistake for a 

 teacher to follow any one of these books except as the suggestions given 

 iipply to the local environment. 



The experiment station of the Missouri State University from time 

 to time issues bulletins giving the results of experiments, and the method 

 of conducting these experiments. The Department of Agriculture of 

 the national government has already issued nearly one hundred valuable 

 "Farmer's Bulletins" and issues several numbers every year. These 

 together with the Experiment Station Records, sent out by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, give the latest discoveries, the latest scientific infor- 

 mation, and the reports of progress made in every department of agri- 

 culture. Any one may obtain these publications at a trifling cost. Many 

 of them are sent free to applicants. Every intelligent farmer should 

 procure and carefully read the publications treating of subjects in which 

 he is specially interested. Every teacher will be better able to teach 

 geography and the elements of agriculture after having read any of these 

 publications. 



Children in the rural schools should acquire the knowledge indis- 

 pensable for reading these publications, or any book on modern agricul- 

 ture, or for attending with profit farmers' institutes and meetings of 

 horticultural societies. As useful aids in pursuing the general subject 

 of agriculture may be mentioned: King's "The Soil," and "Goff's 

 Principles of Plant Culture." To the student of horticulture the fol- 

 lowing books by L. H. Bailey, may be found useful: "The I^ursery 

 Book," "Fruit Growing," "Plant Breeding." 



OBJECTS. 



The study of the underlying principles of agriculture should in- 

 spire pupils with the love of country life and the desire not to change it 

 for city of town life. It should inculcate the truth that the agricultural 

 profession — the most independent of all professions — is more remunera- 

 tive than many others for industrious, intelligent and well instructed 

 followers. It should inculcate in the minds of pupils an appreciation of 



