AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS IN UNITED STATES. 21 



The regular college courses in agriculture are based on four years of 

 study in a secondary (high) school and seven or eight years in an ele- 

 mentary school. The entrance requirements on this basis include in- 

 struction in English, mathematics, history, and elementary science, 

 usually combined with Latin, or a modern language, or agriculture. 

 The giving of entrance credit for agriculture is a comparatively new 

 thing and thus far only a few students have satisfied the requirements 

 in this subject. 



In recent years the agricultural colleges have undertaken the pro- 

 fessional training of teachers of agriculture and for this purpose have 

 established departments of agricultural education. Courses in educa- 

 tional psychology and the principles and methods of teaching, with 

 special reference to the teaching of agriculture, are given, usually in the 

 third and fourth year of the college course. Teachers in service are 

 also given opportunities for professional advancement by means of 

 short courses, particularly in connection with the summer term of 

 school. 



Since the passage of the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act in 

 1917 the agricultural colleges have been designated to carry out the 

 provisions of that act relating to the training of teachers of agriculture. 

 This has greatly strengthened their departments of agricultural educa- 

 tion. 



The four-year courses in agriculture ordinarily lead to the degree of 

 bachelor of science (in agriculture) . Graduate courses are now given in 

 a number of the colleges leading to the degree of master of science or 

 doctor of philosophy. Persons preparing to become investigators, 

 teachers, or agricultural experts are recommended to take graduate 

 courses. 



Many of the colleges offer short courses of a more practical kind for 

 students engaged in farming or elementary teaching. These vary in 

 length from a few weeks to two years and are usually held in the winter 

 or summer. 



SECONDARY EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE. 



Secondary education in agriculture is given in two types of schools: 

 (i) Special agricultural schools, and (2) departments of ordinary secondary 

 (high) schools. 



The special agricultural schools are organized as branches of the agri- 

 cultural colleges or as independent schools in counties or larger districts. 

 Most of these institutions are public schools, but there are also a con- 

 siderable number of private schools in which agriculture is taught. The 

 special schools usually have their own buildings, farms, live stock, farm 

 machinery, and laboratory apparatus. The fact that they have rela- 

 tively large equipment for agricultural instruction and more thoroughly 

 vocational courses makes these schools particularly attractive to more 



