NOTES, 99 



It was voted to form a permanent organization and K. L. Hatch, of Wiscon- 

 sin, was elected president, and W. H. French, of Michigan, seci-etary-treasurer, 

 with power to decide upon a name for the association and arrange for subse- 

 quent meetings. The president has suggested the name of The American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Agricultural Teaching. 



Elementary Agricultural Education in South Carolina. — The seventh annual 

 report of the commissioner of agriculture, commerce, and industries of South 

 Carolina includes a report of a special commission appointed by the general 

 assembly of South Carolina to investigate and report upon the advisability of 

 establishing and maintaining agricultural schools and branch experiment 

 stations in the State. 



In this report the commission enumerates the various forces at work in South 

 Carolina to improve agricultural methods, and recommends that instead of 

 establishing separate agricultural high schools the State create a commission 

 on agricultural education, to consist of the state superintendent of education, 

 the commissioner of agriculture, one member of the boai-d of trustees of Clemson 

 College, the director of the agricultural department of the college, the professor 

 of secondarj' education of the University of South Carolina, and the professors 

 of elementai-y agriculture and elementary education at Winthrop College. This 

 commission would be charged with maliiug and executing general plans for agri- 

 cultural education in South Carolina, including the appointment of a director of 

 agricultural education, who should be an officer of the state department of 

 education, and may be a i)rofessor in Clemson College. The duties of this 

 officer, as outlined by the connuissiou, would be to coordinate and harmonize 

 all of the forces now directed toward agricultural e<lucation in the schools of 

 the State, prepare and distribute among the schools special bulletins outlining 

 definite work to be done, give specific dii'ections to teachers of agriculture, dis- 

 tribute seeds to schools, and perform such other duties as the commission may 

 direct. 



The commission also recommends that special courses designed to prepare 

 teachers of agx'iculture for the elementary and secondary schools be offered by 

 Clemson College, Winthrop College, and the state university, and that teachers 

 who have thus preparcil themselves to teach agriculture and who have received 

 the proper credentials for such work should receive from the state appropria- 

 tion a small compensation in addition to the salary paid by the district trustees. 



Under this plan the work to be done by the director of agricultural education 

 and the commission on agricultural education is to be supported by state 

 appropriations. 



Industrial Education in Maine. — The report of the Maine state superintendent 

 of public schools for 1910 contains the report of the committee on investigation 

 of industrial education appointed by the state superintendent in accordance 

 with a resolve passed at the 1909 session of the legislature. Their report deals 

 with industrial (including agricultural) education in European countries and 

 in America, a synopsis of typical state laws regarding industrial education, the 

 present status of industrial education in Maine, and the needs of Maine indus- 

 tries, with recommendations with reference to the preparation of special teach- 

 ers, the elementary schools, agricultural education, secondary schools, continua- 

 tion courses, separate trade schools, and the control of industrial courses. 



The committee recommends among other things the introduction of hand 

 work, including drawing, manual training, and domestic science, into all grades 

 of elementary schools; greater emphasis on the local geography, histoiy, and 

 industries, and the direction of all school work toward the experiences of the 

 child; school and home gardens; courses for training teachers in agriculture. 



