176 Agricultural Instruction in tJie Public High Schools 



current methods of carrying on garden work are not calculated 

 to encourage much initiative on the part of the child or to 

 place any definite problems before him for solution. It is often 

 only a sort of physical exercise that is better than gymnasium 

 work because it is out of doors. 



The Attitude of Students and Patrons 



Much of the success of the instruction depends on the attitude 

 of the pupils, and the encouragement given the work by the 

 parents. On the other hand, the degree of interest shown reflects 

 in no small degree the quality of the teaching. Opinions were 

 asked regarding the attitude of the students and patrons, and 

 are here given for what they are worth. Attention is called to 

 various possible factors operating against the value of these 

 judgments, and to possible explanations of some of the unfavor- 

 able cases. Very ie\w, only ten each, of the high school and 

 normal training classes, failed to ofifer some estimate. The 

 answers are classified rather arbitrarily according to the degree 

 of interest indicated with the most frequently recurring phrases 

 indicated. The opinions of the high schools are separated from 

 those of the normal training classes. The first number given 

 refers to the former and the second figure to the latter. 



Table 52 

 The Attitude op Pupils and Patrons Toward Agriculture 



Pupils "enthusiastic," "very much inter- 

 ested," " very favorable," or study " very 

 popular " 



Pupils " like it," " pleased with it," " take 

 kindly to it," or attitude " good," " favor- 

 able," "pleasing" 



Attitude " fairly good," " tolerant," pupils 

 " show no marked interest " 



"Indifferent," "backward," "no interest" 



" Unfavorable," or \mynh " disHke it " 



" Cannot judge," or " study too new ". . . . 



Not reporting 



Total 



Reported 

 by high 

 schools 



30 



90 



12 

 4 



2 

 10 



151 



Reported 

 by train- 

 ing classes 



37 



66 



lotal 



10 



128 



67 



156 



19 

 9 

 4 

 4 



20 



279 



