508 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



An interesting discussion of the important subject of agricultural 

 education in secondarj^ schools was opened by Dr. True, in a paper 

 in which he reviewed the present status of the subject, classified the 

 institutions giving secondary instruction in agriculture, and sug- 

 gested ways in which such instruction could be developed in harmony 

 with the present educational systems of the country. He summed 

 up his views of what he considered perhaps ideal conditions as 

 follows : 



"Agriculture, including horticulture and forestry, should be a regu- 

 lar part of public secondary education; second, the unity of our 

 educational system should be maintained, but there should be suffi- 

 cient elasticit}^ of curriculum to meet the various needs of our people ; 

 third, the standard of the curriculum of secondary schools having 

 agricultural courses should conform in a general way to those adopted 

 for the general school system of the State; fourth, the standard 

 agricultural courses, whether in the ordinary high schools or in 

 special schools, should not be narrowW vocational, but should aim to 

 fit the pupils for life as progressive, broad-minded, and intelligent 

 men and women, citizens and homemakers, as well as farmers and 

 horticulturists." 



Some disapproval of separate and distinct agricultural high schools 

 wjis expressed in the general discussion which followed, but there 

 seemed to be quite general agreement that in any case the agricultural 

 instruction should be carefully coordinated with the existing educa- 

 tional systems. L. H. Bailey, of New York, thought that in the dis- 

 cussion of this subject a clear distinction should be made between 

 what is strictly secondary instruction and what is merely special 

 training. The importance of separate agricultural high schools as 

 finishing or vocational schools, and as a means of training teachers 

 of agriculture for the elementary schools, Avas also brought out in 

 the course of the discussion. The general views expressed in Dr. 

 True's paper Avere indorsed b}- formal vote of the convention, and the 

 advance publication of the paper was requested." 



An address was delivered by L. H. Bailey, of New York, on The 

 Better Preparation of Men for College and Station Work. The sub- 

 ject was discussed from the fourfold standpoint of the necessit}^ of 

 (1) developing a spirit of scientific inquiry, (2) letting one's work 

 propagate itself, (3) developing an incentive of self-help in one's 

 constituency, and (4) insisting on a certain kind of preparation in 

 the college. The necessity for a broad educational foundation was 

 emphasized with special force, and too early or narroAv specialization 

 was strongly deprecated. The need of greater facilities than are noAV 

 available for the broad and thorough post-graduate training of 



O' U. S. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Circ. 91. 



