08 THE farmer's education, 



spending a half day with each in turn, the week between eaclj 

 visit being carried on by the regular teachers by the aid of 

 suggestions contained in leaflets or hand-books specially pre- 

 pared for their use. This, in fact, is the method adopted in 

 New York, where Cornell University supplies, at the expense 

 of the state, competent traveling instructors. This method is 

 also employed in Germany, where, however, there is less need 

 of it, as the teachers are mostly men who make teaching the 

 avocation of their life. In this country, where the majority of 

 the teachers are women, many of them quite immature, and 

 for the most part with quite other views for tlie future than 

 continuous teaching, the employment of special teachers will 

 probably usually be found essential. 



The compensation for such teachers will necessarily be suf- 

 ficient to justify the expense of a suitable preparation, and to 

 support a man with a family and a horse. Such a teacher 

 could visit about ten schools a week, spending a half day with 

 each, and about twenty schools would be the limit for each 

 teacher, if real progress is expected. In most states there is 

 probably no provision in the laws for the appointment and 

 payment of special teachers serving a large number of schools, 

 and the securing of such legislation must be the first practical 

 step towards the introduction of such studies, except as indi- 

 vidual districts may act by securing regular teachers who are 

 qualified for the work. 



Little good will be accomplished by moving too fast, and 

 in advance of public sentiment. At one time the law of Cali- 

 fornia required that "entomology" should be taught in all the 

 common schools of the state. This provision was inserted in 

 the statute as the result of the work of one enthusiast, wdio 

 appreciated the importance of such instruction in fruit-growing- 

 districts, and who had himself prepared a text-book for the 

 purpose. It was, however, a subject hardly understood by 

 anybody. The methods of dealing with insect pests were 

 crude and unsatisfactory. There was no attempt to deal witli 

 fungi, which are almost as destructive as insects. In the 

 majority of the districts there were no important fruit interests. 

 The teachers, of course, knew nothing about tlie subject, and 



