Home Economics. 89 



the proper care of a home and children. It is in recognition of this need 

 that many agricultural colleges offer courses in Home Economics. 



In the fall of 1907, the College of Agriculture at Cornell University 

 offered for the first time regular instruction in Home Economics. A 

 laboratory was equipped for experimental purposes and courses were out- 

 lined which should run through the four college years and lead to the 

 degree of the college. The object of these courses is to prepare the 

 woman to meet her home difficulties in the same scientific spirit as the 

 trained engineer, to enable her to plan as thoughtfully for human nutrition 

 as the educated farmer plans the balanced rations for his stock. 



In outlining courses in Home Economics the needs of two classes of 

 students were considered : those wishing a general knowledge in home 

 topics but lacking the necessary scientific foundation for advanced work, 

 and those who have had certain prerequisite courses in science and who 

 are prepared to study the subject in a more detailed and technical manner. 

 It was recommended that a schedule separate from that of the regular 

 College of Agriculture be introduced to meet the needs of this second 

 class of students, as the prerequisites for instruction in Home Economics 

 should differ in part from those in Agriculture. 



The laboratory equipped for the department was not ready until Feb- 

 ruary, 1908, and the plans for instruction in the four-year course were not 

 matured until later in the year, so that no students were registered for 

 the four-year course in Home Economics. Two general courses were 

 offered in Home Economics in the second term. One was a three-hour 

 course in nutrition and the other a two-hour course in sanitation and 

 household management. These were for students of any other depart- 

 ment in the college or any other college in the University. Thirty-six 

 students were registered in these courses. 



Recommendations. — While the equipment of the laboratory is at 

 present adequate to fill the needs of a limited number of students, a need 

 has already been felt for space to equip a small kitchen which shall repre- 

 sent in a practical way a model for the housekeeper. The present appro- 

 priation is altogether inadequate to allow for more than bare running ex- 

 penses, and if the department is to plan for growth it is recommended 

 that a larger appropriation be made for added facilities, equipment, service 

 and space. 



Martha Van Rensselaer, 



Sivpen'isor Farmers' Wives' Reading-Course and Lecturer in Home 



Economics. 



Flora Rose, 



Lecturer in Home Economics. 



