A STUDY OF FARM SHOP WORK IN 

 PENNSYLVANIA 



CHAPTER I. 



Reason for the Study. Far-reaching changes have taken place 

 within the last two decades in the methods employed, and in tools 

 and machinery used in agriculture. The wide introduction of power 

 driven machinery, of factor}' and shop made "parts", such as drop 



ings, pipe fittings, hardware and plumbers' supplies, have re- 

 sulted in much change in the nature of farm shop work, so that 

 there is need for determining the validity of certain practices domi- 

 nant in the past, in order to determine whether or not they should 

 be included in modern programs for vocational agricultural educa- 

 tion. 



It is common]} accepted by leaders of vocational education 

 that it is most essential to teach those phases, or elements of given 

 vocations that have proved to be of demonstrable value (including 

 >>cial and civic values), to the adult, successful followers of the 

 .itions and to society at large. With this thought in mind this 

 study seeks to establish certain facts pertinent to a restricted field 

 of vocational agricultural education namely to farm shop work. 



The study is undertaken at the joint request of the Agricul- 

 tural Division of the State Bureau of Vocational Education, Harris- 

 burg, and the Department of Rural Life of The Pennsylvania State 

 ColK 



Definition of Farm Shop Work. The term "farm shop work" 

 is taken to mean repair and construction work in various materials 

 of construction performed by farmers in pursuit of their vocation. 

 The work is done with the aid of hand tools and appliances, as dis- 

 tinguished from machinery. Some of this work is performed in 

 sheds or repair shops during inclement weather, or at slack seasons 

 when work with crops or animals is not urgent; the remainder of it 

 i- performed anywhere on the farm where the need arises. 



Definition of the Problem. Education in farm shop work in 

 Pennsylvania, as in other of our states, is passing through a stage 



ansition. The little school training received by the teachers 

 who pioneered in the work was usually received in manual training 



