AGRICULTURAL TRAINING FOR EMPLOYED TEACHERS. 9 
student without any interruption oi his regular employment and 
without taking up the greater part of the vacation period. The 
expense incident to a correspondence course is usually small . Another 
advantage lies in the fact that correspondence work can be carried on 
by single individuals, and the student is not required, therefore, to 
attend upon the sessions of any institution, thus saving money, time, 
and travel. It is undoubtedly true that under the guidance of a good 
correspondence course much more systematic and thorough work can 
be done than if the student depends upon mere general reading. 
On the other hand, correspondence study undoubtedly has many 
disadvantages. It is hardly possible for the student to do more than 
an elementary grade of work by this method, and there is considerable 
danger of his getting incorrect ideas on the more complex questions 
which arise, because of the absence of any one to question him and 
to correct his inaccurate impressions. Furthermore, there is a lack 
of enthusiasm in isolated study which is generally lound when several 
students are associated together. No one can hope to learn as much 
or as readily by the correspondence method as when associated with 
other students in a class under the direct supervision of a competent 
instructor. The personality of such an instructor is a great factor in 
class instruction, which is wholly lacking in correspondence work. 
Another great disadvantage of correspondence work lies in the; 
practical impossibility of doing thorough laboratory or experimental 
work. Some simple experiments which do not require any apparatus, 
or only such equipment as may be constructed at home, may, of 
course, be performed; and some field observations and experiments 
may be conducted if the student is industrious and conscientious 
enough, but at best the work of this sort must be more or less crude 
and unsatisfactory. 
The popular demand for correspondence courses in agriculture is 
evidenced by the number of State and private institutions in which 
such courses are now offered. The results of a recent investigation 
by this office show that at present there are in the United States and 
its territories, as nearly as can be learned, 25 State institutions and 
5 private schools in which some regularly established correspondence 
work in agriculture may be done. Besides, there are five private 
correspondence schools which offer more or less complete courses m 
agriculture. In at least seven of the State schools college credit may 
be obtained by students having the proper qualifications upon passing 
satisfactory examinations. In one, credit may be prescribed by the 
State superintendent of public instruction. In several others certifi- 
cates are awarded for the successful completion of a certain number of 
courses. The number of distinct courses in agriculture offered by 
these various institutions ranges from 1 to 56. Nearly all these 
institutions offer courses in elementary agriculture or agricultural 
5773°— Bull. 7—13 2 
