Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-12-05
SCHOOLS OF STUDY
Where knowledge Of Agriculture
May Be Acquired.
In View Of Recent Increased Demand
Tor Agricultural Education, De-
partment Tells How Wisdom
May Be Obtained.

paftment Tells How wisdom
May Be Obtained.
Washington.-Ninete states now
require that an examination In agri-
culture be passed before a teacher
may obtain his certificate, according
to the bulletin (No. y Just issue by
the department Of agriculture en-
titled. Agricultural Training Courses
for Employed Teachers" This Is an
indication Of the impetus that has
recently been given to agricultural
education all over the country. In the
two years ending March. 1912. the
number OF institutions giving courses
in agriculture increased at rate Of
more than rs a month. and the total
number grew from 1853 to ISIS.
Now that 10 states require. by law.
the teaching Of agriculture in the
common schools. the demand for
teachers Of the subject is constantly
growing. Normal schools. therefore,
are introducing courses OF agricul-
ture, and many agricultural colleges
are offering special lines of work to
meet this demand. Still, there are
hardly enough teachers for the Sec
ondary schools and the special
schools of agriculture. 1t has been
the object Of the Office Of experiment
stations to discover, by investigation,
Just how teachers already employed
may acquire the training required to
enable them to teach the elementary
phases OF agriculture.
Without doubt the most popular, as
well as the most efficient means OF
giving this training is the summer
course offered by college or normal
school. The instruction is usually of
a high class, and adequate equipment
and apparatus for laboratory and field
work are usually available.
There are also special short courses
is agriculture offered in some insti-
tutions during the regular school ses-
sion. usually the spring term. For
instance, the Agricultural and Me-
chanical college Of North Carolina,
holds a special May school" for
teachers, at which agriculture is
taught. Afternoon. evening and Sat-
urday classes in agriculture during
the regular school year are offered at
Columbia university, in New York
city.
The study Of agriculture by CORE
spondence has grown rapidly in favor
during the last few years. The ex-
pense incident to a correspondence
course is usually small; but this meth
cd has its, disadvantages, as there
Is considerable danger Of the students
getting incorrect ideas on the more
complex questions which arise. There
are at present, however. throughout
the United States and its territories,
about Is state institutions and five
private schools in which some regular
" established correspondence work
may be done along this line. Many
Of the courses in the state institu-
lions are free to residents Of the
state, except for the cost of textbooks
and postage. The highest fee charged
by q state school is IS for one course.
Reading classes are also offered by
several state agricultural colleges
which do not conduct regular CORE
spondence work. These courses are
intended rather for farmers and farm
ers' housewives than for teachers, al
though teachers are encouraged to en-.
roll as we'll These reading courses
are offered at the following institu-
tons:
University Of Arizona, Tucson Arizona.
Michigan Agricultural College. East Lam
sing. Michigan.
New Hampshire College. Durham. N H.
Cornell University State College Of AZ
riculture. Ithaca, N. Y.
State University. College Of Agriculture.
Columbus. Ohio.
Free Reading Courses In Agriculture.
The new bulletin announces that
the department Of agriculture has
prepared several reading courses of
its own free publications for those
who might desire an agricultural
reading course, but who have not the
time to seek out their own material
or might wish to avoid the expense
of purchasing the books.
The lists OF reading for this work
have been compiled in view of the
great increase in demand for .agricul-
tural training in the past three years.
They will enable all who have the
inclination and any spare time to fol-
low out a thorough course, the publ
cations being supplied for nothing by
the department. II the free publca-
lions listed in these courses Should
become exhausted. they may general
ly be obtained by purchase for small
sum from the superintendent of docu'
ments, government printing Office.