CHAPTER III 



SOME TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOLS TEACHING AGRI- 

 CULTURE 



A number of schools scattered between the North Atlantic 

 coast and the Missouri River were visited in May and June, 

 1908. These included fairly representative examples of county, 

 township, and village high schools. The largest was in a county 

 seat, a number were several miles from a railroad, and a few 

 were some distance from the nearest village. The agricultural 

 courses in these schools were partly of the half-year type, partly 

 of one year, and in four cases were planned for the entire 

 four years, though not always in full operation. In most cases 

 there was opportunity to see the classes, and to inspect their 

 work and the school equipment. There was also some slight 

 opportunity to learn the sentiment of the community. 



High Schools Teaching Agriculture One Year or Less 



Very early on this itinerary a group of schools was observed 

 whose work in agriculture was similar principally in being car- 

 ried on for but half the year. In two schools the agricultural 

 work was taken up during the winter of the second year, pre- 

 ceded by a study of the plant, recognized as a part of the 

 more formal botany, and followed by a few weeks spent in 

 identifying spring flowers. In one school the same plan was 

 followed in the third year. In another the agriculture of the 

 last half of the first year was preceded by physical geography, 

 while still another school placed it in the first half of the same 

 year with physical geography following. Under the prevailing 

 arrangement one might suspect that there was not the amount 

 of outdoor work that might have been done had the course 

 extended through the entire year. The various forms of home 

 work will be noted under the treatment of the respective schools. 



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