92 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



societies, field days, corn, potato, and fruit sliows, and tlie like. '* The surest 

 way to better ttie school is to improve the neighborhood about it." The great 

 danger is that teachers who inaugurate such work will too soon be promoted 

 away from it to larger fields. 



Connecting piihUc school agriculture with the hiisiness of farming, D. J. 

 Crosby (pp. 303-oOG). — The author quotes former President Eliot of Harvard 

 University to the effect that many children leave school early because the 

 grammar and high school grades do not furnish a life motive for study. He 

 proceeds to describe how such interest is aroused in the teaching of school agri- 

 culture so as to connect it with work on the farm and in the home, by referring 

 to the work of typical agricultural schools. He believes that " there Is nothing 

 inconsistent in hoping eventually for a course of study which shall be pedagog- 

 ically sound and economically useful." 



The development of agricultural teaching in Virginia, K. C. Davis (pp. 309, 

 310). — This address emphasizes the fact, and its significance, that the number 

 of teachers studying agriculture in the Summer School of the University of 

 Virginia increased from less than a score in 1907 to nearly 300 in 1910. 



Papers on Domestic Science in Rural Schools, by Miss Xeale S. Knowles, 

 Boys' Corn Clubs, by I. O. Schaub, and The Agricultural High School, by W. H. 

 Hand, were also presented. 



Suggestions for organizing a high school course in agriculture, G. A. 

 Bbicker (Agr. Col. Ext. Bui. [Ohio State Univ.], 6 (1910), No. 1, Sup. 2, pp. 

 16, figs. IS). — This publication discusses the nature of agriculture as a school 

 study, the necessary equipment for studies of plants, animals, farm machinery, 

 and soils, the seasonable sequence of illustrative materials, and the importance 

 of treating agriculture as a distinct subject. It includes a list of text-books and 

 helpful bulletins. 



Exercises in elementary agriculture, G. A. Bricker (Agr. Col. Ext. Bui. 

 [Ohio State Univ.], 6 (1910), No. 1, Su.p. 1, pp. 7). — This publication includes 

 4 school exercises, on root tubercles, collecting and mounting tubercles, the 

 retention of moisture by means of the skin of a potato, and the adulteration of 

 seeds, respectively, together with a brief discussion of the demonstration, prac- 

 ticum, verification, and experiment, as distinct forms of agricultural study. 



School exercises in plant production, D. J. Crosby (U. S. Dept. Agr., Farm- 

 ers'' Bnl. .'lOS, pp. JfS, figs. 39). — This bulletin is a revision and enlargement of 

 the major part of Bulletin 186 of this Office, previously noted (B. S. R., 19, p. 

 91). There is added a list of helps for teachers, this including a number of 

 books on rural school agriculture and a list of state institutions that have 

 issued pamphlets containing exercises in public school agriculture. 



School lessons on com, D. J. Crosby and F. W. Howe (U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Farmers'' Bui. 409, pp. 29, figs. 12). — This bulletin includes a revision of a 

 portion of Bulletin 186 ot this Office (B. S. R., 19, p, 91) and a reprint of 

 Circular 96 (E. S. R., 23, p. 195). An additional exercise is given on simple 

 corn breeding experiments that can be conducted in a school or home garden, 

 and a list of publications on various phases of corn production. 



The story of a king and queen (Illinois St a. Circ. l.'iB, pp. 16, figs. 4). — This 

 is a story of corn and clover to shov.' some of the results obtained by the 

 Illinois Station in soil improvement through the use of phosphoric acid, lime, 

 and crop rotation. 



Some Minnesota insects and useful birds, F. L. "Washburn (Minnesota Sta. 

 Wall Chart and Sup. Circ., pp. 6). — A lai'ge chart mounted on linen, showing 

 the principal economic birds and insects in Minnesota in colors has been 

 prepared by the state entomologist for distribution to INIinnesota schools. The 

 Circular gives brief descriptions of the illustrations on the chart. 



