898 EXPEKIMENT STATION KECOED. 



The present status of agricultural education in public secondary schools 

 of the United States, C. H. Eobison (ScJiool Rev., 19 (1911), No. 5, pp. 

 SSSS.'iJi). — This investigation calls attention to the fact that whereas in 1906-07 

 there were only about 15 public secondary schools having an agricultural course 

 of 2 or more years, and these mostly of the special sort, there are now over 30 

 high schools or academies depending on local support or patronage and distrib- 

 uted among 15 States ; at least 40 schools receiving State aid for their agricul- 

 tural departments, but offering general high-school courses and found mostly in 

 5 States ; and between 45 and 50 strictly agricultural secondary schools, existing 

 apart from the agricultural colleges and more or less independent of them. 



The number of weeks devoted to agriculture in 171 schools offering it for 

 one year or less varied from 6 to 40, with a strong central tendency at IS, the 

 number of weeks in S2 schools. Eighty-one schools reported the subject as 

 required and 63 reported it as elective. 



Out of 136 schools 20 reported no science preliminary to agriculture, 70 

 reported 1, 26 reported 2, and 11 reported 3 sciences. It was preceded by physi- 

 cal geography 72 times, by botany 33 times, by physiology 17 times, by physics 

 16 times, by chemistry 6 times, and by others 11 times. 



Over 100 schools reported doing practically all the experiments in the text 

 or manual used. Half as many carried on additional experiments while about 

 the same number reported " a few " experiments, no laboratory work, or ignored 

 the question. 



A brief history of elementary education, Anna E. Southard (Ohio Ed. Mo.. 

 61 (1912), No. 1, p. 20>-25). — This is a brief history of the growth of agricul- 

 tural education in this country, beginning with the year 1747 and closing with 

 the Ohio law requiring elementary and high-school teachers to pass an exami- 

 nation in agriculture on and after September 1, 1912. 



Agricultural education in the public schools, B. M, Davis (Chicago, 1912, 

 pp. YlI+163). — In this volume have been brought together the articles pre- 

 viously noted as appearing in the Elementary School Teacher. As a whole the 

 volume reviews the work of the following agencies and their contributions to 

 the promotion of agricultural education : The U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 U. S. Bureau of Education, state departments of education and state legisla- 

 tion, the agricultural colleges, the state normal schools, the National Education 

 Association and other teachers' associations, educational periodicals, periodical 

 literature, state organizations for agriculture — farmers' institutes, agricultural 

 societies, boys' agricultural clubs, elementary and secondary schools, and text- 

 books. In assembling these articles for publication in book form the author 

 has revised them to include the latest available information, in many cases 

 bringing the data up to 1912. 



An annotated bibliography of 202 references is included. There is also an 

 introduction by C. H. Judd, director of the School of Education, University of 

 Chicago. 



What and how in agriculture for women teachers, J. R. Clarke (Ohio 

 Teacher, 32 (1912), pp. 2.U-2Jt6). — After discussing what the young city or 

 village high-school graduate can do toward teaching agriculture to country boys 

 and girls the author offers the following suggestions : 



(1) Have an exhibit of the work done at least every 2 weeks to which 

 the patrons are invited. Use the best of these exhibits for a general school ex- 

 hibit of the township or village, and send the best of the township exhibits to 

 the county fair exhibit. Garden products, soils, grains, fruits, harmful insects, 

 seeds of all kinds, flowers, and plans for the garden or farm fields are stated 

 to make excellent exhibits. (2) Organize an agricultural club in the school 

 and invite into it all the young people of the vicinity. (3) Besides observation 



