126 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



a pen of poultry would include as minor projects building a 

 poultry house according to plans and specifications worked out 

 at school. This in turn is divided into such subordinate minor 

 projects as are necessary for successful completion, such as se- 

 lecting a site for the house, taking into consideration : soil as 

 related to poultry culture, underdrainage, conditions of sunlight 

 and shade, convenience of access, etc. The legislation proposed 

 by this report was passed by the legislature last in session. 

 When the proposed plan goes into effect, its results should be 

 carefully studied by all who are interested in secondary agri- 

 cultural education. 



The rapid introduction of agriculture into high schools is 

 responsible, in part at least, for two interesting educational re- 

 actions. One is the changed attitude of colleges toward agri- 

 culture as an entrance unit. A few years ago most colleges 

 refused to give any credit for work done in this subject in high 

 schools. Now 36 colleges actually recognize the subject and 27 

 express a willingness to do so when it is offered as an entrance 

 unit, and several other colleges are considering the matter (167). 



The other reaction is upon the method of presenting sec- 

 ondary science. There is now a growing tendency to relate sci- 

 ence instruction more and more to the practical affairs of life 

 (168). Recent experiments seem to justify this method of 

 approach to a science even when judged from the point of view of 

 pure science (169, 170). 



Agricultural colleges are now well established, and their 

 problems are largely matters of detail and of research. The 

 problems of agricultural education are now being shifted to the 

 secondary schools offering agricultural instruction. There is 

 a great diversity, not only in respect to types of schools, but 

 also as to methods, time devoted to the subject, equipment, 

 qualification of teachers, and in other respects. But of the 

 widespread interest there can be no doubt. The results on the 

 whole promise much for the development of rural education 

 and redirection of rural schools. 



