986 Agricultural Education in the United States. [Feb., 



school, the demand for instruction in vocational agriculture, the 

 total assessed valuation of the school district, and the extent to 

 which farmers will co-operate in promoting the work of such a 

 department of agriculture. The Board of Education of any city 

 can establish such a department on its own initiative but in a 

 union free or a common school district the question has to go 

 before an annual or a special district meeting. With every 

 department of agriculture is established a department of " home 

 making " or domestic science for girls. When the resolution is 

 once passed arrangements are immediately made for the raising 

 of the necessary local funds. The minimum requirements made 

 by the State for such departments of agriculture include the 

 following : — There must be provision for at least six months of 

 directed or supervised practical work. The course must take 

 into special account the types of farming dominant in the neigh- 

 bourhood. Two rooms and a library of books, bulletins and 

 journals must be provided. The teacher must be enabled to 

 attend certain conferences. There must be an enrolment of not 

 less than twelve boys and at least fifty dollars must be set aside 

 for the travelling expenses of the teacher in order that he may 

 carry out what is the most important part of the work, the close 

 supervision of the practical work, the " farm enterprise " or 

 " home project." 



Provided that the Federal demands are fulfilled the salaries of 

 the teachers run on a sliding scale according to the amount which 

 the Local Community is willing to contribute. In all cases the 

 State contribution is $1,000. If the Local provision is only $200 

 the Federal grant is $200 also, if the Local grant is $533 the 

 Federal grant is $866. This means that the salaries range 

 between three and six hundred pounds per annum. 



To merit such a salary as this last, sometimes in excess of 

 that of the High School Principal himself, stringent qualifications 

 are required. The teacher must have an authorising certificate 

 showing graduation from a four years High School and a four 

 years Agricultural College course. Ten per cent, of his college 

 work must have been concerned with educational psychology, 

 principles and methods. He must be approved by the staff of the 

 Teacher Training Institution, which is always consulted over the 

 matter of choice of teachers. He must be thoroughly conversant 

 with farm life and with work on a farm. In any case his College 

 Degree is conditional upon his having done a year's work as a 

 farm labourer. He must have a good general knowledge of the 

 entire field of agricultural subjects common to New York State, 



