196 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 43 



in which the author endeavors to represent in story form how tlie boys and 

 girls in rural schools may be so instructed through the use of material drawn 

 from their own environment as to become vitally interested and active in 

 cooperative undertakings needed in training for rural citizenship. The stories, 

 t(jld by pupils, deal with studies of their own school, homes, farms, neighbor- 

 hood, etc. ; a teacher's community service, the making and using of school 

 libraries and a school workshop; the school i^rogress club, bird club, home 

 and school club, and school egg circle ; nature study excursions, school and home 

 gardens, making arithmetic problems, farm bookkeeping, weeds, insect studies, 

 school credits for work at home, apple show and orchard studies, potato con- 

 test, school fair, school lunch, play and games, the consolidated school, etc, 



Suggestions on courses in agriculture for the Smith-Hughes high 

 schools of Kentucky, JIcN. C. James {[Lexington], Ky.: Ky. State Bd. Vocat. 

 Ed., pp. 5Ji). — This bulletin contains a suggested four-year course for vocationaij 

 work in agriculture and related sciences, including farm crops and horticulture 

 in the first, animal husbandry, dairying, and poultry raising in the second, 

 soils in the third, and farm mechanics and farm management in the fourth* 

 years ; a topical outline of the course with suggestions for laboratory work ; a? 

 list of suitable texts and reference books ; suggestions for other library , 

 material, laboratory equipment for 20 pupils, the use of school land, and home 

 project work ; a list of suitable projects for Kentucky ; and sources of supple^ 

 mentary and Illustrative material in agriculture. It is stated that more than 

 a score of high schools have met the requirements and are offering courses? 

 in vocational agriculture, household science, and industries. 



The teaching of elementary soils, H. O. Buckman {•lour. Anter. Sac. Af/ron., 

 12 {1920), No. 2, pp. 55-57). — The author brielly reviews the evolution of' 

 methods of teaching soil science. In his opinion the science is now on such a 

 basis that one general fundamental course seems preferable to the two or 

 even three that are in many places offered in as many calendar terms to 

 cover the subject. Recitation periods should be Instituted in which the 

 principles exi^lained and emphasized in the lectures can be expandejl and dis- 

 cussed, preferably with a textbook as a basis. Exercises emphasizing funda- 

 mental points should be substitutetl for the old style laboratory " experi- 

 ments." In short, he believes that the whole course may be made a follow-up, 

 the recitations on the lectui'es, and the laboratory on both. 



Introductory courses in soils, R. S. Smith {Jour. Amer. Soc. Ayron., 12 

 {1920), No. 2, pp. 58-60). — The author endeavors to state in broad terms a 

 tentative outline of the general purpose to be attained by the introductory soils, 

 course. Referring to questions regarding laboratory work in soils, raised in alii 

 article by Karraker previously noted (E. S. R., 41, p, 896), he believes that If: 

 the admittedly weak laboratory exercises in introductory soils courses are to be 

 strengthened by revision, elimination, or addition in the most rational manner,! 

 their contribution to the attainment of the purpose of the work as a whole! 

 must be kept in mind and they must be/nade to conform to this pui*pose as 

 well as to the best available knowledge. But something more than improve- 

 ment or elimination of certain laboratory exercises is needed. The problems 

 presented by the first soils course are becoming constantly and rapidly more 

 difficult, due to the changes in the nature of the courses given in secondary 

 schools. Attention is called to the need of the best collective effort of the men 

 who are responsible for the teaching in the introductory soils courses in work- 

 ing out and agreeing on basic piinciples. 



Household arts and the high school girl, N. G. Gladish {Jovr. Home Econ., 

 11 {1919), No. 11, pp. 488-492) .—This is a discussion of what to teach in a two- 



