AGRICULTURE IN THE COMMON SCHOOLS. 61 



nation, and is likely to ultimately become part of permanent 

 educational policy everywhere. 



It began in New York, as it must begin elsewhere, in 

 personal visits of skilled instructors from the University, going 

 from one school to another and spending half days in instruc- 

 tion. The teachers quickly caught the idea and were eager 

 to take it up. To aid them in this the University printed a 

 series of "leaflets"* containing sample lessons to be given 

 orally to pupils, and opened "correspondence classes" with 

 teachers, of whom over ten thousand were enrolled as students 

 by 1897. From this the work has extended in New York and 

 other states, and will be more or less familiar to most of my 

 readers. No more promising effort in aid of agriculture has 

 ever been made. 



Up to the present time the term "agriculture" has been 

 generally employed by the press in discussing these new 

 studies, and it wiil probably hold its place. The vagueness of 

 this term, already alluded to, has resulted in all sorts of mis- 

 conceptions as to the nature of the proposed work, and it is 

 desirable to inquire a little further as to what is really meant 

 by teaching "agriculture" in common schools. 



On the part of farmers I fear that in many cases nothing 

 in particular is meant. There is a vague idea that in some 

 way these common schools can help to make farming more 

 attractive to young people, as well as more profitable, and thus 

 tend to stop the drift of the young to the cities, where most of 

 them lose all chance of ever attaining an independent life. 

 Not knowing how^ else to express themselves, they speak of 

 introducing "agriculture" as a study, and sometimes of the 

 necessity of a proper " text-book " for the pupils. 



There is no doubt that the common schools can be very 

 helpful in this respect, and that they are thus helping in some 

 countries. It is not, however, nor can it be, by the pursuit of 

 a formal "course" leading to definite attainments within 

 certain limits, nor is any " text-book " whatever required for 

 the use of pupils. The first step in any useful study of agri- 



Soe Appendix C to this book, for New York law and speci 



men leaflets. 



