I 



CREDIT FOR HOME PRACTICE IK" AGRICULTURE. 5 



the figures might need revision. The boy might not be allowed to 

 use more than two horses where the father would use four, and some 

 of the manual labor would be heavier for him. In any case the 

 raising of a single acre on this farm would require more than one-half 

 of the 144 hours, assigned to project work. 



Again, if the boy is to raise from one-eighth to one-half acre of 

 potatoes only, almost every phase of the work will take more time 

 relatively than it takes on larger fields. Planting, spraying, digging, 

 and even hoeing may be done by hand and a reasonable time allow- 

 ance is to be made. Such a study of the labor involved will assist 

 in deciding how large a project the pupil should be encouraged to 

 take. Too much project work may detract from the time needed 

 for study; too Mttle may not be worth considering for credit. The 

 extent to which this work is new, and therefore educational, may be 

 a factor in giving different credit for the same number of man-hours 

 labor. 



The fiirst thing to be decided is whether the potato project is a 

 suitable apphcation of the agriculture taught. Then in view of the 

 ratio estabhshed between textbooks and practice on the one hand 

 and the estimated man-hours of labor in raising an acre of potatoes 

 on the other, determine the question as to whether one-half acre or 

 one-fourth acre or more is sufficient to satisfy the demands. 



In case the pupil carries both a crop and an animal project, each 

 may be determined in the same way for the proportionate time 

 allowed. There is a manifest advantage in having both summer and 

 winter projects. 



Whenever projects have been carried out and reports rendered by 

 pupils, the itemized records of time should be kept on file at the 

 school to be used in considering future projects. The age and ma- 

 turity of each pupil should be recorded with each report. These 

 records may in time be of greater value in creditmg projects than are 

 the adult labor records which are at present the only available basis. 



CASE n. HOME PRACTICE OPTIONAL. 



In some cases where the stud}^ of agriculture is' prescribed for the 

 upper grades, it is not feasible to require any home work. It will 

 then be best to offer added credit for home project work and average 

 the rank on the project with the recitation rank iu agriculture as in 

 the former case. The ratio between the two should be fixed upon a 

 fair basis and the same methods for obtaining the cooperation of the 

 parents should be used as in other cases. 



If the recitation course runs for three or four periods a week the. 

 home work should count for about two-fifths or two-sixths. When 

 there are five recitations in agriculture it may be wise to comit home 

 work as three, unless it seems that the pupils ought not to carry that 



