196 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 



Industrial education in schools for rural communities, L. D. Harvey et al. 

 ( Winona, Minn.: Nat. Ed. Assoc, 1905, pp. 92).— This is a report presented at the 

 meeting of the National Educational Association at Asbury Park, July 3, 1905, by a 

 committee appointed at the Boston meeting of the association in 1903, to investigate 

 and report to the association conclusions as to what should be undertaken in the field 

 of industrial education in schools for rural communities. The members of the com- 

 mittee, which has been continued, are L. D. Harvey, of Wisconsin, chairman; L. H. 

 Bailey, of Cornell University; Alfred Bayliss, of Illinois; W. T. Carrington, of Mis- 

 souri; and W. M. Hays, of this Department. 



The report includes a summary of conclusions regarding industrial education (agri- 

 culture, domestic science, and manual training) in rural schools; an argument for 

 such education; adiscussionofwhatin the field of industrial education should be under- 

 taken in rural schools of different grades, namely, one-room rural schools, consoli- 

 dated schools-, rural high schools, and secondary schools of agriculture and domestic 

 economy, with suggestive outlines for courses in nature study and agriculture for 

 elementary and secondary schools, suggestions for eliminating part of the unnecessary 

 work now undertaken in rural schools to make room for industrial subjects and for 

 the training of teachers to give instruction in these subjects, and an account of b< >ys 5 

 experiment clubs and other agencies available for cooperation in the development of 

 industrial education. 



Information regarding the organization and courses of study of the existing and 

 proposed schools discussed by the committee is given in four appendixes, Appendix 

 A, treating of the Dunn County (Wisconsin) School of Agriculture and Domestic 

 Economy; B, of the Minnesota School of Agriculture; C, of "articulated courses in 

 industrial subjects in the consolidated rural school, the agricultural high school, and 

 the agricultural college, as prepared by W. M. Hays, at the request of the committee;" 

 and D, the syllabus of an elementary course in agriculture, quoted from Circular 60 

 of this Office. 



The general conclusions of the committee are (1) that in existing one-room district 

 schools a limited amount of nature study, elementary agriculture, and handwork for 

 both boys and girls may be undertaken, but that in these schools little can be 

 expected from this work except where enthusiastic and well qualified teachers are 

 in charge; (2) " that in the consolidated school having at least four teachers, one of 

 whom is prepared to teach the elements of agriculture and manual training, and 

 another domestic science, very much more in the field of industrial education may 

 be attempted than in the one-room school, and with far better results;" (3) " that in 

 the township or other distinctively rural high school, and in the village high school 

 attended by a considerable number of pupils from the country" elementary agricul- 

 ture, domestic science, and other lines of industrial education should be taught by 

 teachers specially prepared for the work; (4) that in view of the success of agricul- 

 tural or industrial high schools in this country and abroad, such schools should be 

 organized in large numbers in agricultural communities; (5) "that the agricultural 

 colleges and experiment stations have already done much in the formulation of a 

 body of knowledge essential in the field of industrial education, but that more yet 

 remains to be done in putting this body of knowledge into available form for use in 

 elementary and secondary schools, and that effort in this direction should be made 

 a prominent feature in the work of the agricultural colleges of the country;" (6) 

 "that the mastery of such parts of this rapidly developing body of knowledge as is 

 within the capabilities of elementary and secondary school pupils furnishes a mental 

 training unsurpassed in extent and quality by the mastery of any other body of 

 knowledge now regarded as essential in our common school courses and requiring 

 an equal amount of time, and that for utility value it is not equaled by any other 



