598 EXPEEIMEXT STATION RECORD. 



natural surroundings. The desire to do something for a practical result grows 

 rapidly and leads the pupil to give eager response to the industrial arts. At 

 the beginning of the seventh grade agriculture makes a most valuable subject 

 for such treatment. The work has a prevocational value in the upper grades 

 and this gradually changes into a more strictly vocational value in the later 

 years of the high school, where the work should still be treated as an industrial 

 art or vocational subject linked up with and strengthened by the general 

 .studies of the high school, especially the sciences. There should be definite 

 instruction work, but this should be linked up with and motivated by the 

 practical doing of suitable school and home projects related to the farm. 



What is involved in vocational education, E. Da\-enpokt {Univ. III. Bui. 

 12 {1915), No. 19, pp. 23). — The author quotes certain fundamental propositions 

 of the so-called unit system recommended by the Illinois Educational Com- 

 mission in 1911 ; outlines the provisions of the Cooley bill for establishing a 

 system of vocational schools for Illinois ; discusses the effect of a separate 

 system of vocational schools upon the children, the existing public .schools, 

 and society, the financial waste of a multiple system of schools, and the ex- 

 perience of agricultural and mechanical colleges in dealing with the same 

 kind of problem ; and points out the advantages of the dual system, weak 

 points in the public-school administration, and suggests propositions for 

 agreement 



Studies in elementary agriculture, S. W. Cunningham {Fresno [Cal.} State 

 Normal School Bui. 2 {1915). pp. 63, figs. 48).— This bulletin presents 88 studies 

 in soils and plants, outlining the apparatus, materials, and methods of pro- 

 cedure which constitute part of the laboratory course given in the Fresno, 

 Cal., State Normal School in preparing students to teach agriculture in the 

 rm'al schools. A list of special apparatus for the rural school is included. 



The principles of agronomy, F. S. Harris and G. Stewart {New York: The 

 Macmillan Co., 1915, pp. XVI+JioJ, pi. 1. figs. 97). — This text on crop production 

 is one of the Rural Textbook Series. Wliile written primarily for high schools, 

 giving more than one course in agriculture and for short courses in agricul- 

 tural colleges, it should also be useful to the practical farmer. It deals with 

 the principles of plant growth ; the soil and its management ; field crops ; and 

 problems of field management, including the planning and equipment of the 

 farm, what crops to grow, and factors of success in crop production. 



Laboratory manual of cereals and forage crops, G. Livingston and F. W. 

 Stemple {Columbus, Ohio: R. G. Adams d Co., 1915, pp. 147, figs. 2).— This 

 laboratory manual contains 59 exercises, a large number of which have been 

 used during the past four years in connection with the regular cereal and for- 

 age-crop courses at the Ohio State University. The exercises include a botani- 

 cal study of the plants, laboratory and field studies of varieties, judging, scor- 

 ing, germination tests, etc. More than one laboratory period of two hours a 

 week will be required to complete all the exercises, but when no more time 

 Is available only the more important exercises may be selected for study. 



Agricultural drawing and the design of farm structures, T. E. French and 

 F. W. Ia'es {Xcw Yo7-k and London: McGrau-IIill Book Co., Inc., 1915, pp. 

 VIII -{-130, figs. 182). — This book is intended primarily for students in agri- 

 culture and agricultural engineering, but also is of interest to farmers. Chap- 

 ters are devoted to the theory and technique of drawing, working drawings, 

 farm structures, maps and topographical drawing, pictorial drawing, con- 

 struction data, and a selectetl bibliography. A variety of problems are included. 



Supplementary problems for classes in agriculture {Manila, P. L: Bur. 

 Ed., 1915, pp. 94)- — Tills is a compilation of arithmetical farm problems includ- 

 ing fractions, decimals, bills and accounts, measures, percentage, ratio and 



