CHAPTER XIV 

 TEXTBOOKS 



One striking evidence of the growing interest in agricul- 

 tural education in elementary and secondary schools is the num- 

 ber of textbooks on agriculture that have appeared in recent 

 years. 1 Of the seventy-five or more textbooks on this subject 

 nearly forty have been published since 1900. 



An excellent account of the textbooks of agriculture, in- 

 cluding historical aspects, was written by L. H. Bailey in 1903 

 (171). The present discussion will therefore be confined 

 chiefly to the textbooks published since 1903. In this period 

 of seven years at least twenty-eight textbooks of various kinds 

 have been written. Emphasis should be put on various, for the 

 diversity of plan and treatment of the subject in these books 

 makes it difficult to find a basis of classification. They will 

 be considered in this discussion as three types: for elementary 

 schools, for secondary schools, and for teachers. 



Most elementary textbooks are informational in character. 

 The subject is generally presented in clear and simple language 

 easily within the grasp of the pupil. It is assumed that the 

 pupil has had sufficient concrete experiences with agricultural 

 matters, and that the text will help him to interpret these ex- 

 periences. There is a minimum of effort required of the pupil 

 to find out things for himself. Questions are often given at 

 the end of each chapter, but they are usually merely a summary 



* It is possible that this statement should be qualified, for the number of books published 

 does not indicate the number in actual use. A quotation from a private letter written by the 

 editor of one of the largest publishing companies of agricultural books is significant: "Outside 

 of one textbook published by a Boston house, I do not believe there is another manual of agri- 

 culture or agricultural textbook that has paid the publishers anything beyond mere cost, and 

 some have not even paid cost." This was written in 1009. Since then conditions may have 

 changed for there has been a great development of interest in the subject. Besides, fourteen 

 books have been written during and since 1909. It seems likely that the small demand for 

 certain textbooks may be due to the quality of the books themselves. 



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