8 



Arthur C. Monahan, agricultural specialist of the United States 

 Bureau of EdiK-aUon ; the Ron. 0. D. Richardson, Past Master, 

 and the Hon. Charles M. Gardner, Master, of the Massachu- 

 setts State Grange; and many other citizens of Massachusetts. 



A brief survey has been made of the development of agri- 

 cultural education in Massachusetts and like work elsewhere. 

 The economic status and prospects of farming, as conducted by 

 both men and women, in this State, have been examined. 



Selected and typical centers have been studied, as to the facil- 

 ities for transportation, as to the most promising lines of farm- 

 ing in practice, and as to the probable enrollment in an 

 agricultural school or department. All parts of the State have 

 thus received attention, with the exception of the islands of 

 Dukes and RTantucket. It will be easily understood that this 

 report can deal only in general terms with the results of these 

 local investigations. 



Printed sources of information have been used, and confer- 

 ences have been held both with groups and with individuals. 

 By far the largest number of consultations have been held on 

 their own premises with farmers who are obtaining their liv- 

 ing from their agricultural work, and who are regarded by their 

 communities as sound in judgment, methods and ideas. 



No serious appraisement of educational needs and values has 

 been undertaken, beyond the strict limits of agricultural train- 

 ing adapted to youths from fourteen years of age upward. 

 In fact, attention has been almost exclusively confined to agri- 

 cultural education suitable for boys, and perhaps for some girls, 

 who intend to follow farming for a livelihood, and who, but for 

 the type of training recommended in this report, probably would 

 follow the practice of a long line of their predecessors, and drop 

 out of school altogether. 



Provision of agricultural education for girls who have passed 

 their fourteenth birthday has been considered. This problem 

 raises very important questions, both educational and economic. 

 There is little experience, so far, by which to be guided. It is 

 believed, therefore, that this subject should be further investi- 

 gated, and that the questions involved can best be answered by 

 actual experiments made in connection with the agricultural 

 schools and departments proposed in this report. 



