THE USE OF LAND IN TEACHING AGRICULTURE. 9 



RELATIVE PROPORTION OF BOYS AND GIRLS STUDYING AGRICULTURE 



IN HIGH SCHOOLS. 



The returns to the Bureau of Education for 1913 x indicated that 

 one-third of the high-school students studying agriculture in the 

 United States were girls. In many of the agricultural classes visited 

 the number of girls exceeded the number of boys. When the instruc- 

 tor was asked why so many girls were in his classes, he replied that 

 if the girls were to teach in the rural districts they would be required 

 to pass an examination in agriculture, and so were attending his 

 classes for this purpose. It would seem that this fact would call for a 

 modification in the methods of teaching agriculture and in the use of 

 the school land and the home project. In the following table are 

 included all schools which have courses in agriculture, whether they 

 receive State aid or not. Of course, they comprise a much larger 

 number than were used in obtaining information in regard to the use 

 of land. This table shows the relative number of boys and girls 

 studying agriculture. 



Number of -public high schools reporting agricultural courses, and number of pupils in 



attendance. 1 



Geographic divisions. 



Schools 

 reporting. 



In agricultural courses. 



Boys. 



Girls. 



Total. 





1,414 



19,749 



10,076 



29, 825 







132 

 742 

 136 

 267 



137 



1,524 

 8,730 

 1,922 

 5,024 

 2,549 



507 

 5,356 



958 

 2,729 



526 



2,031 





14, 086 





2,880 





7,753 





3,075 







THE PERIOD BETWEEN GRADUATION AND STARTING FARMING ON 



OWN ACCOUNT. 



It can safely be assumed that the average boy leaves school at 18 

 years of age. From the best information available the average 

 farmer does not start farming on his own account until he is some- 

 where between 25 and 30 years of age. In other words, there is a 

 period of the farmer's life, when he is between 18 and 30 years of 

 age, when he is not working on his own farm nor is he his own master. 

 It would seem that wherever the home-project method has been 

 introduced an effort should be made to follow up the boy and, if 

 possible, arrange in some way for him to continue his home-project 

 work and gradually becomes a partner with his father in the farm 

 business. This feature should be a part of the extension work of the 

 agricultural instructor. 



i Rpt. Comr. Education [U. S.], 1913, II, p. 489. 



