ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS 117 



The second result has been less satisfactory. Indeed, in 

 some instances it has proved a positive detriment to agricultural 

 education. It has in effect added another textbook subject to 

 an already crowded rural-school curriculum, for many teachers, 

 in spite of whatever suggestions they may receive from leaflets 

 or institute instruction, know of no other way to teach except 

 by means of a textbook. It has put undue emphasis on the 

 agricultural textbook. More than a score of elementary text- 

 books have appeared within a decade. Publishers have been 

 very active in securing the use of their books in the rural 

 schools. While the value of a good textbook must be con- 

 ceded, it is apt to be the means of substituting agricultural in- 

 formation for real agricultural instruction. The kind of agri- 

 cultural instruction best adapted for the elementary schools 

 cannot be given merely by means of recitations from a text- 

 book. 



There may be some justification in making the teaching of a 

 subject compulsory on the ground that otherwise it would never 

 be taught. On the other hand it may seriously be questioned, 

 since the whole burden of such a measure falls upon the teach- 

 ers, whether efficient teaching of any subject may be secured by 

 mandatory legislation. The length of teaching service of the 

 average rural teacher is very short, perhaps less than three 

 years. As a result rural teachers are constantly being recruited 

 from the young graduates of grammar and high schools. It is 

 claimed by some that whatever preparation these inexperienced 

 teachers may make is largely determined by what they are ex- 

 pected to teach. If they must teach agriculture they will make 

 some effort to prepare themselves to teach this subject. It 

 is probably on this theory that so many states have tried this 

 plan of introducing agriculture into the rural schools. At 

 least sixteen states have tried this plan, and in several other states 

 bills providing for such instruction were considered by legislatures 

 last in session, and one (in Ohio) became a law. 



The second line of development of agricultural education 



