AGRICULTURAL EDL^CATTOX. 1197 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



The farmer's chance to grow intellectually in his business, J. W. Cook 

 {Ann. Rpt. HI. F<irnurs' Insl., I.! ( l!)OS), pp. 2. ].>,->.>,, 5). —The central thouyht 

 of this address is that scieutitic iiiteri'st is the characteristic of the age and that 

 the farmer is at the center of " the scieiiitic situation." Only work is educative, 

 and the farmer's worlv is more educative than that of iiny other industrial 

 laltorer btvause of its freedom from meaningless repetition. The farm must 

 he(.-(>uie a s<,'hool if its re.sources are to be transmitted unimpaired to later 

 generations. •'Education for social etticiency is the modern watchword." 



Studies in the history of modern education, C. O. IIoyt {Xcw York, Bos- 

 ton. ChUtitjo, JUUti, pp. ^JJ, ph. 7, mil IIS .{. jiijs. 2). — This liodk jiresents certain 

 fundamental facts in the history of education, with suggestions for their dis- 

 cussion, questions to invite thought and encourage research, and directions for 

 assisting such research. It is preeminently designed as a college text, but 

 contains a good l)ibiiography of reference works for the general reader. The 

 chai)ter headings name the representative educators and the eiiochs for which 

 each stands. The term agricultural education does not api)ear in the index 

 fif the volume, nor is it mentioned in the single reference made to industrial 

 training. Nor is allusion made to the American system of land-grant colleges. 



Education, F. A. Xiciiolson (Sole on Agriculture in Japan. Madrafi, 1001, 

 pp. 77-01). — This article, which forms a part of a ti'eatise previously noted 

 I K. S. R.. 20, p. S02). includes brief accounts of and statistical data concerning 

 science and agriculture in primary schools in Japan, supitlementary (continua- 

 tion) schools, regular agricultural schools, higher agricultural education, educa- 

 tion in forestry, farm schools, private schools, itinerant teaching, support of 

 schools, and i-esults and cost of ordinary agricultural education. 



The beginnings of college history, M. F. Dickinson (Boston. J90S. pp. 

 17). — This address, delivered on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the 

 founding of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, presents a very interesting 

 review of the movements which led to the estal)lishment of that institution. 



The educational organization of nature study, Mary P. Anderson (Jour. 

 X. y. Bot. (Itinl., 10 {i;io:i). Xo. 111. int. .56'-6'.J » .—Attention is called to the 

 modern viewpoint as to the proper subject-matter for nature-study work, i. e., 

 its relation to the life of the child. 



The June-bug is not studied merely as an example of the beetles, but is 

 approached through the fat white grub that is responsible for the patches of 

 dead grass in our lawn. The star-fish no longer gets its interest for the child 

 as a classic example of the radiates, but from the fact that it also eats oysters. 

 The child is not ready for the scientific classification attempted in early nature- 

 study progranunes: he is the center of his own universe, which must be explored 

 in gradually-widening circles. 



The author suggests home and its inunediate stu-ronnding.s home geography, 

 and industrial geography, as the importjint centers of activity for the first 5 

 grades. 



Nature study by grades, II. II. Cummings (Xcxv York, Cincinnati, Chicago, 

 J008, pp. ISO, figs. .'/'/). — This book is the outgrowth of a series of exercises 

 prepared for training teachers in the I'tah State Xormal School, but is ap- 

 plicable to general nature study. An im|)ortant feature is the graded arrange- 

 ment of toi)ics (for the first three grades) on a plan which insures against 

 useless repetition. 



An elementary study of corn, V. M. Siioksmitii (Agr. Col. JJxt. Bui. [Ohio 

 instate lniv.\, J (I'JO'J), Xo. 8. pp. 10, figs. 13). — The writer has included in this 



