284 EDUCATION AS A MEANS FOR PREVENTING INFANT MORTALITY 



generations is and how this should enter into and influence 

 every part of life." "The importance of knowledge in caring 

 for the child." "This course has meant to me more than any 

 work I have had in the university. I realize the fundamental 

 importance of a knowledge of children and for the first time I 

 look forward to having children of my own/' And again, "I do 

 not see how any woman would dare to undertake the care of 

 children until she has had a course of this kind." The girls who 

 gave the above answers were taking what we have entitled a 

 Survey Course in Home Economics, because it includes in 

 four hours a week through one year only a glimpse of the 

 whole field with final emphasis given to the care of the child. 



It is interesting to compare the attitude toward life of the 

 Home Economics student and the "outside" student. In a course 

 in house planning taught from the home standpoint by a woman 

 architect deeply imbued with the Home Economics spirit a prob- 

 lem somewhat as follows was presented for solution: 



"Given so much floor space make an economic plan for a house 

 for a family of five persons, mother, father and three children, 

 taking into account that the woman must do all her own work 

 and care for the children.' 



The atmosphere became immediately charged. The "outside" 

 girls regarded it as a personal problem and objected to the 

 thought of any woman doing such a stupendous amount of work. 

 To the Home Economics students it represented a situation which 

 it was perfectly possible to shape in a satisfactory way should it 

 ever present itself to them individually, and in the meanwhile 

 the problem of planning a convenient house for the busy mother 

 delighted them. 



While classroom instruction is regarded as the most important 

 part of the work done by the Department since it will ultimately 

 be most far-reaching in its effects it is by no means the only work 

 done. 



As the Department is a State Institution one of its objects is 

 to make it possible for every woman in New York State to ob- 

 tain the knowledge necessary for more intelligent care of the 

 family. This is accomplished through publications, exhibits and 

 public lectures given in all parts of the State. 



We have a kind of correspondence course called the Farmers' 

 Wives' Reading Course, published under New York State appro- 

 priation in bulletin or leaflet form and sent free on applica- 

 tion to residents of New York State. A question paper goes 

 with each bulletin and the subscribers are asked to return an- 

 swers and to ask questions if they wish. From the first these bul- 

 letins have been written in response to a demand which came in 

 the form of letters and questions. They have treated in a simple 



