8 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



been justified by results as measured in dollars and cents. In 

 1908 the agricultural products of our country amounted to 

 $7,778,000,000. The value of the corn crop alone amounted to 

 J $1,615,000,000. It may be readily seen that a very slight in- 

 crease in yield per acre would aggregate many times the run- 

 ning expenses of all the institutions engaged in promoting agri- 

 culture. The work of the Department has made possible not 

 only a slight increase but in nearly all kinds of production a 

 very large increase (2, pp. 44-46). 



The aim of the Department has been twofold : first, scientific, 

 developing a scientific knowledge of every phase of agriculture ; 

 second, educational, conveying this knowledge to all the people. 

 In both these aspects of its work the Department has been closely 

 allied with the land-grant agricultural colleges. Indeed, the 

 Department and the agricultural experiment stations in differ- 

 ent states and territories, organized chiefly as departments of 

 land-grant colleges, stand at the head of our system of agri- 

 cultural research and education. 



Since 1889 the Association of American Agricultural Col- 

 leges and Experiment Stations has been holding annual meet- 

 ings. Members of the Department take prominent part in these 

 meetings, and the proceedings are published through the Office 

 of Experiment Stations. The director of this office is chair- 

 man and the specialist in agricultural education is secretary. 

 The educational policy of agricultural colleges, such as terms of 

 admission, courses of study, matters of administration, etc., is 

 determined largely by a standing committee of this association 

 known as the "committee on instruction in agriculture." For 

 several years agricultural instruction of collegiate grade has 

 been well organized and on a good working basis. Recently the 

 efforts of this committee have been directed to a consideration 

 of instruction of secondary grade. A course of study has been 

 worked out in considerable detail to serve as a model for schools 

 contemplating such instruction (3, 4). Some attention has also 

 been given to work in elementary schools (5, 20). 



