101!'] AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 491 



The dato show further, approximately, that n> schools require agriculture 

 for 12 weeks, n for is weeks, 4 for .'i weeks, 24 tor 36 : 18 weeks, 



ami s for 72 weeks <>r more, of these 8 schools, u require agriculture tor tour 

 years and one requires agriculture each term in its five-year course. Of the 

 schools offering agriculture, L5 place It in the first year, LS in the » 9 in 



th.' third, 14 in the fourth, 1 in the fifth, 7 require it every year, and in LB 

 schools it is optional with the student as to which year he pursues it. 



With reference to the course in agriculture offered for six weeks or more, it 

 is shown that general agriculture (Including elementary agriculture) is taught 



for six weeks or more in 44 BChOOls, animal husbandry in 20 schools, soils in 

 18, farm crops and cropping in 13, horticulture in 13, gardening in 10, agronomy 



in S, dairy husbandry in 7, feeds and feeding in 6, farm management in >': 

 plant propagation (Including plant breeding) in 7, poultry in 4, stork judging, 



W Is. ami rural economics in 3 each, farm mechanics and forestry in 2 each, 



and methods in agriculture, economic entomology, bacteriology, plant pathology, 

 and agricultural chemistry in 1 school each. There is overlapping in the courses 

 to some extent. Data are also given with reference to courses in other depart- 

 ments that are prerequisite to agriculture. 



It is found that 63 normal schools prepare teachers of agriculture for rural 

 schools, three preparing them for rural schools alone; 60 may prepare teachers 

 of agriculture for graded as well as rural schools ; and 38 may prepare agricul- 

 tural teachers for high schools in addition to the preparation of teachers t'>i- 

 the elementary schools. There seems to be a definite movement in the North 

 Central, South Central, and Western States to prepare teachers of agriculture 

 for high schools. 



Seventy per cent of the replies received favor the training of teachers in 

 normal schools in the art and science of agriculture, while 10 per cent did not 

 favor such training. Four schools favor such training in the science of agricul- 

 ture only, two in the art of agriculture only, and two schools hold that special 

 schools (preferably normal schools) should be delegated to do the work In 

 agriculture. 



With reference to the approximate value of material equipment for agricul- 

 ture it is shown that one normal school has an estimated material equipment 

 of $100,000. 5 have approximately .$50,000 each, 7 have .$10,000 each, 8 have 

 $5,000 each, 9 have $1,000 each, 14 have $500 each, 6 have $100 each, and 5 

 report little or nominal equipment. Twenty-two schools report that there is 

 no coordination of the work of the school and the agriculture of the community ; 

 10 schools do club work, or cooperate with the county agent; nine schools do 

 certain types of practical work, such as soil testing, determining species of 

 insects, suggesting building plans, etc.; six schools do extension work, includ- 

 ing lectures and experiments; and one school does supervision work in the 

 teaching of agriculture in district schools. 



"The replies are practically unanimous in the belief that the function of 

 agriculture In the normal school is to develop in the minds of young men and 

 women a point of view with respect to the problems of rural communities. This 

 would include a training which would emphasize, first, the art and science of 

 agriculture; second, an appreciation and understanding of rural problems; and 

 third, practical problems. . . . The sentiment of the majority seems to be 

 reflected in the thought that agriculture has a ' relatively -rowing Importance ' 

 in the normal curriculum. . . . With reference to desirable changes, the 

 sentiment, aside from those having in mind purely local matters of administra- 

 tion, is, first, that the subject needs to be vitalized in the curriculum : second, 

 that it should be more generally required; third, that it should be taught iu the 

 training school." 



