No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 325 



Within the last month or two Halligan's "Fundamentals of Agricul- 

 ture" has appeared which is also a high school book but better 

 adapted to southern conditions and does not contain directions for 

 laboratory and field work. 



Most of the schools devote nearly all of their time to recitation 

 giving very little to demonstrations, field or laboratory work. They 

 give as the reason for this when asked that they do not have time for 

 anything else. To my mind three recitations per week and two per- 

 iods given to demonstrations or practicum work of some kind are 

 desirable. It would be well to have double periods for practicum 

 work, if possible, but even single periods would be better than giving 

 all the time to recitations. The pupil must use his hands and eyes 

 if he is to get the desired amount of training from the subject he 

 cannot get it by using his memorj^ alone. The pupil must be taught 

 to see and do things. These inquiries show that agriculture is coming 

 into the schools and it is our business now to see that it comes in the 

 proper way. If we introduce merely a text-book in agriculture the 

 result is apt to be disappointing and there is danger of a reaction. 

 If we introduce work of too low a grade it will be disappointing. If 

 the pupil sees in the work only things that he already knows, even if 

 he sees them in a new light he is not getting all he is entitled to. Not 

 only must we teach agriculture but we must teach it right, the pupil 

 must feel that he is getting something worth while. 



In teaching agriculture in the public schools we must seek to ac- 

 complish the following: 



1. Give the pupil new knowledge. 



2. Develop the view of the knowledge he already has. 



3. Teach him to use his thinking faculities, 



4. Teach him to do things- 



5. Teach him to find out things for himself. 



6. Correlate the school with the home life. 



7. Not neglect the business side of agriculture. 



While we realize that rural life problem is a large one and that the 

 country schools are only part of it, we believe that the teaching of 

 agriculture in these schools, as it is capable of being taught, will 

 do more than any other one thing for the advancement of the rural 

 community and the conservation of our natural resources. 



THE PKESBNT TREND OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 



By L. A. CLINTON, Storrs, Conn. 



When I selected my subject for the address at this meeting I had 

 no knowledge of what the other subjects were upon the program. The 

 large number of addresses upon the subject of agricultural education 

 simply shows the importance of that subject and the large place it is 

 occupying in public education at the present time. 



