DEPARTMENT OF RURAL ART. 



The purpose of the course in Rural Art is two fold: first, the 

 teaching of the country people to understand both the value and 

 the making of better and more organized home surroundings; sec- 

 ond, the training of students to become successful landscape de- 

 signers. During the past few years it has come to be recognized 

 that better surroundings, either civic or domestic, make for a bet- 

 ter, healthier and happier people. Up to the time of the formation 

 of the course in Rural Art, little or nothing had been done in the 

 College of Agriculture to help the farmer understand or appreci- 

 ate either the landscape which is so much a part of his daily life, 

 or a better, more organized home surrounding. Through our courses 

 we are now inculcating in the minds of the students a more gen- 

 uine love of nature, largely the result of its better understanding. 

 Our extension work, too, endeavors to bring about this better un- 

 derstanding, such as the making of recommendations and plans 

 for the improvement of rural school grounds, village improvements, 

 and the like, lectures and talks given before the grange and other 

 agricultural meetings, and the publication of bulletins upon subjects 

 allied with the work. The value of this work is but just beginning 

 to be understood and felt, and last year's inquiries and experiences 

 have proved quite conclusively that we are helping materially to 

 bring about the results intended. 



During the last College year, 1908-1909, the course in Rural 

 Art has more than ever proved its necessity and value in the Col- 

 lege curriculum, having passed, unquestionably, the period of un- 

 certainty and experimentation, and has now taken on a settled and 

 definite form. 



I. TEACHING. 



The several changes suggested in the report of last year met our 

 needs, and have led even to further betterment for the coming 

 year, particularly with reference to the arrangement of courses 

 and the offering of several new ones. The direct teaching force 

 was last year, as formerly, confined to two members, an assistant 

 professor, and an instructor, Mr. George C. Burnap. 



The teaching work was conducted much as during the year be- 

 fore, courses being given in Theory, Design, Sketching, History of 

 Landscape Design, Landscape Engineering, Plant Materials, to- 



