26 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



of land to be cropped for his exclusive benefit. It proposes, as we 

 have seen, to require the attendance of one-fourth of the students 

 through the entire growing and harvesting season. 



The Massachusetts Plan. 



Massachusetts has developed another plan for the solution of 

 this problem. This plan was fully set forth in the report submitted 

 to the Legislature in January, 1911, by the Massachusetts Board 

 of Education. The Legislature has provided State aid for carrying 

 this plan into effect. A vocational agricultural school may be 

 established by any town or city, or by any group of towns or cities 

 which may voluntarily form themselves into a district for this 

 purpose. Evening school classes in agriculture may be established 

 by any school committee. The State has not been definitely 

 divided into districts by the Legislature. To the present Legis- 

 lature the Massachusetts Board of Education is, however, sub- 

 mitting a bill suggesting the details of legal procedure for the 

 establishment of agricultural schools by counties. 



Provided an agricultural school, day or evening, large or small, 

 taught by one teacher or more, with or without school land and 

 live stock, with training extending over two, three or four years, 

 a school in general agriculture, or in such specialized production 

 as market gardening — provided an agricultural school is approved 

 by the Massachusetts Board of Education as to 



■'organization, control, location, equipment, courses of study, qualifica- 

 tions of teachers, methods of instruction, conditions of admission and 

 employment of pupils and expenditures of money " 



the community, voluntary district, or county maintaining it, is 

 entitled to reimbursement from the treasury of the State to the 

 extent of one-half the amount expended for maintaining the school 

 from funds raised by local taxation. The State in agricultural, as 

 in industrial education, contributes nothing towards the initial 

 cost of the land, buildings or equipment. 



Vocational agricultural departments may be established in 

 selected high schools. The agriculture must be taught by a spe- 



