114 Agricultural Instruction in the Public High Schools 



following summer four out of six schools offering courses in 

 secondary school agriculture registered 78 persons in these 

 courses. Only the separate agricultural colleges have introduced 

 into their summer work such specialized courses as agricultural 

 pedagogy and rural sociology. 



The " conference " is a feature of recent origin in the col- 

 leges giving agricultural instruction. It has taken a form, so 

 far, rather distinctive for each institution adopting it. The 

 central topic may be agriculture as a science, as a subject of 

 instruction, or as related to community life. 



The conferences held since 1908 during the summer session 

 of the Massachusetts Agricultural College have addressed them- 

 selves principally to the first theme and to agricultural science 

 in relation both to the high school and, to a lesser extent, to 

 the elementary school. 



During the same years the University of Virginia has held 

 a " rural life week," in which the discussions center more around 

 the improvement of the social and economic condition of agri- 

 cultural workers. 



During the four weeks' session of the North Dakota Agricul- 

 tural College, at least one lecture of a general nature was given 

 every afternoon. During the " county superintendents' week," 

 an additional series of lectures was given by F. W. Howe, then 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, now state 

 supervisor of agricultural education for the New York Educa- 

 tion Department. 



At the University of Illinois, a two days' " conference on the 

 teaching of agriculture in the common schools" was held late in 

 March, 19 10, at which twenty-five short papers were given The 

 subject was considered from the standpoint of the university, 

 the normal school, the county superintendent, the school direc- 

 tor, the practical farmer, and the woman in the home. A com- 

 mittee was appointed to report on a plan for an eight-grade 

 course of instruction in agriculture at a conference to be held 

 the following winter while the " short courses " were in session 

 at the agricultural college. 



The connection between the subject matter of agriculture and 

 the public school is made, as suggested, in two ways. One by 



