II. Evidence of an Increasing Interest; 



There is abundant evidence of a rapidly growing interest in 

 agricultural missions in China. A resume of many items in 

 this evidence may be found in a chapter in the China Mission 

 Year Book for 1919, describing recent developments in agri- 

 cultural education under missionary auspices, giving numerous 

 instances of new work started or called for, and quoting re- 

 solutions by many mission associations in various parts of China 

 strongly favoring agricultural work. A typical report on the 

 subject was made last year to the East China Christian Educa- 

 tional Association, which presented fresh calls for the establish- 

 ment of agricultural enterprises and urged a rapid development 

 of the work. Even more recent requests for aid in beginning 

 agricultural work, especially in the lower schools, have been 

 received by the agricultural leaders. Perhaps the strongest 

 evidence of the growing demand for this phase of mission work 

 in education is a resolution adopted by nine Christian Educa- 

 tional Associations in China, as follows: 



"That the Executive Committee of the China Christian 

 Educational Association be empowered to appoint a committee 

 on agricultural education, whose duty it shall be to prepare an 

 1 All China' program looking toward the introduction of 

 agriculture into our mission schools through the development of 

 provincial normal training centers for the suitable preparation 

 of teachers. This committee shall also prepare a list of factors 

 that shall be used in determining the location and establishment 

 of such teaching centers/' 



The China Christian Educational Association appointed a 

 committee as suggested, which has already drawn up a prelimi- 

 nary statement, and which is preparing a fuller discussion of a 

 plan of active enlargement of agricultural education. The 

 Committee on Economic and Industrial Problems of the forth- 

 coming National Christian Conference is including agriculture 

 as an important part of its report. 



The interest in China is shared by other mission fields India, 

 Burmah, Syria, Macedonia, Africa, South America, and has 

 been reflected in America by the organization of an International 

 Association of Agricultural Missions. A section of the last 

 World Student Volunteer Convention, 1920, was devoted to 

 Agricultural Missions; and in the Spring of 1921 there was held 

 a conference on Agricultural Missions, for New England College 



