PREFACE 



The pressing need of 'Some agricultural instruction in our 

 public schools is generally admitted by all who have given due 

 thought to the subject. Especially is this true in the Southern 

 States, when the gnat majority of the population is engaged 

 in agricultural pursuits, and where comparatively few students 

 li.'iii the rural district! fun their way to college. According 

 to the census of 1000, the total population of the Southern 

 States is about 23,000,000. Of this number the rural popula- 

 ttou makes up fully 75 per cent or more; in other words, about 

 17,000,000. The total number of persons enrolled during the 

 session of 1898-'99, as students of agriculture in the land-grant 

 SottegM of the South was 1,777, or about .0001 per cent of the 

 agru ultural population. The number of persons receiving 

 agricultural instruction outside of these colleges is so small 

 as not materially to a licet the result, and it is safe to say 

 that of the agricultural population of the South not more than 

 one person in 10,000 receives any schooling in agriculture. 

 We have, then, the amazing spectacle of an agricultural com- 

 munity that is spending annually for its schools and colleges 

 about $35,000,000, and yet giving instruction in agriculture to 

 only one person in every 10,000 of the agricultural population. 



That there are still great dillietilt ies in the way of the work 

 nrultural education is freely admitted. The want of 

 thoroughly trained teachers, the Mod of more and better appa- 

 ratus and text hooks, and the want of appreciation on the part 

 0i the general public, are great barriers in the way of progress. 

 But these barriers must and will in time be removed, teachers 

 will be better trained, more and better apparatus will be pro- 

 vided, better text-books will be written, and when all this 

 comes to pass the public will soon learn to appreciate this line 

 of educational effort. 



166756 



