74 



A paper read by Dr. Roland M. Harper before the American 

 Geographers at the Boston meeting of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science describes a natural prairie on Long 

 Island. The natural prairie of about fifty square miles, known 

 locally as " Hempstead Plains," was treeless when the country 

 was first settled ; and a considerable part can still be seen in its 

 natural condition, though it is situated in a country with about 

 300 inhabitants per square mile. 



Secondary education in agriculture was discussed by Director 

 A. C. True at the Association of American Agricultural Colleges 

 and Experiment Stations (Portland, Oregon, August, 1909). If 

 was recommended (i) that agricultural colleges give credit in 

 their entrance requirements for agricultural subjects properly 

 taught in the secondary schools ; (2) that agricultural colleges 

 should have a definite legal relation to the public school system ; 

 (3) that agriculture should be generally introduced into the high 

 schools ; and (4) that there should be a limited number of special 

 state agricultural high schools. 



The Outlook (February 5) describes fully an interesting phase 

 of the Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work of the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry which focuses upon the farmer boy. Through 

 the cooperation of the Bureau and of the state and county school 

 authorities, boys are led to agree to plant and care for one acre 

 of corn each. Advice, seeds, etc. are furnished by the Bureau ; 

 the soil, usually by the boys' fathers ; and prizes, by local civic 

 organizations, private individuals, etc, P'our such prizes for 1909 

 sent four southern boys to Washington for a week, and Secretary 

 Wilson presented them with certificates of merit. Last year there 

 were 12,000 boys in the corn clubs under Dr. Knapp's care, and 

 the Bureau estimated that these clubs will register over 35,000 

 boys next year. 



In the recent report of Professor Willis L. Moore, chief of the 

 Weather Bureau, the relation of forests and rainfall is discussed 

 and the statement is made that one is entirely independent of the 



