694 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and educational features. He concludes tliat this movement had a marked 

 influence in bringing the railroads under governmental control and in deter- 

 mining the scope and plans of various other agricultural organizations. The 

 greater part of the book is devoted to conditions between LSTO and 1880. A 

 very complete bibliography is included. 



Rural social centers in Wisconsin, C. J. Gaxpin (Wisconsin Sta. Bui. 234 

 (1914), pp. 38, figs. 20). — The author claims that because the land worker is 

 exempt from close contact with people he is handicapped in the development of 

 his social institutions, that large scale acquaintance must become a rural 

 policy and ideal, and that " fundamental mediums of acquaintance must sup- 

 plement the casual in order that the constructive power of the community may 

 be recognized and organized into effective institutions to reinforce each indi- 

 vidual in his life struggle." He describes a number of typical rural social 

 centers in Wisconsin, including a rural school, rural club, rural church, and 

 rural municipal center, and indicates how each is influencing the social life of 

 the community. 



AGEICULTTrSAL EDUCATION. 



Signs of progress in 1913 {Ontario Dept. Ed., Agr. Ed. Bui. 7 (1913), pp. 19, 

 figs. 9). — This bulletin contains (1) a list of 174 rural and village schools in 

 Ontario that are endeavoring to qualify for grants for agricultural instruction, 

 as compared with 17 schools receiving grants for this work in 1910, 33 in 1911, 

 and 100 in 1912; (2) suggestions to teachers that will help them to judge for 

 themselves as to the quality of their work, (3) a list of the schools that have 

 organized progress clubs among the pupils in their higher classes, and (4) an 

 article on the Regeneration of Rural Schools, by M. D. Moffat, in which he 

 outlines what Ontario is doing in introducing utility subjects into the schools. 



The present organization and status of agricultural instruction in Bel- 

 gium, J. Yandee Vaeren (Rev. Gen. Agron., n. ser., 22 {1913), Nos. 2, pp. 75- 

 85; 3, pp. 122-127; 4^ PP- 174-181; 5-6, pp. 228-232; 7-8, pp. 280-284) -—The 

 various types of agricultural schools and courses comprised in the system of 

 agricultural education in Belgium are described. 



Instruction in rural home economics abroad, P. Schindles {Ann. Sci. 

 Agron., 4. ser., 2 {1913), II, No. 6, pp. 727-742).— A.n account is given of what 

 has been done in the teaching of domestic science in European countries outside 

 of France. 



Community or local extension work by the high school agricultural 

 department, W. G. Hummel {California Sta. Circ. 109 {1914), pp. 31, figs. 7).— 

 This circular discusses the advantages and opportunities of local extension 

 work in agriculture, which aims to connect school life with the home life of 

 the community, possible arrangements as to time available for the teacher 

 to carry on this work, its financial support, forms of the work, and what 

 various high school agricultural teachers have actually achieved in these lines 

 and their methods. The author finds that this work is no untried theory, 

 and that " properly conducted, it promotes agricultural knowledge, prosperity, 

 and community spirit among farmers; vitalizes and emphasizes the value of 

 school instruction; and, not least important, furnishes a useful avenue through 

 which the agricultural experiment station may both keep in close touch with 

 farm conditions and needs and disseminate the results of its investigations." 



To help boys go to school and yet make a good living raising corn and 

 pigs {Oreg. Countryman, 6 {1913), No. 3, pp. 145, I46). — A proposed plan for 

 combining corn and pig clubs with crop rotations on a 2-acre tract is described. 

 The basic idea is that under this system the boy will have plenty of time to 



