Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-11-14
WHERE AGRICULTURE MAY RE
STUDIED

passed peIore teacher may obtain
his certificate, according to the bull
letin (No. y just issued by the De-
partment of Agriculture entitled
Agricultural Training Courses for
Employed Teachers" This is an in
dication of the impetus that has re-
Gently 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 a
rate of more than 76 a month, and
the total number grew from $50 to
1915.
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 Expert
ment Stations to discover, by investi-
cation, 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
courses offered by college or nor
NAL school. The instruction Is usu-
ally of a high class, and adequate
equipment and apparatus for labora-
tory and field work are usually avail
able.
There are also special short
courses In agriculture offered in
some institutions during the regular
school session, usually the spring
term. For instance, the Agricultural
ard Mechanical College of North
Carolina holds special May
School" for teachers, at which agri-
culture Is taught. Afternoon, even
Ing and Saturday classes in agricul-
ture during the regular year are Of
fered at Columbia University, in New
York City.
The study of agriculture by cor
respondence has grown rapidly in
favor during the last few years. The
expense incident to a correspondence
course is usually small; but this
method has It's disadvantages, as
there is considerable danger Of the
students getting incorrect ideas on
the more complex questions which
arise. There are at present, how
ever, throughout the United States
and it's territories, about 20 state in
stitutions and five private schools
In which some regularly established
correspondence work may be done
along this line. Many of the courses
IL the state institutions are free to
residents of the state, except for the
cost of textbooks and postage. The
highest fee charged by state school
is $500 for one course
Reading classes are also offered
by several state agricultural colleges
which do not conduct regular CORES
intended rather for farmers and
farmers housewives than for teach
ers, although teachers are encour-
aged to enroll as well. These read
ing courses are offered at the follow
ing institutions:
University of Arizona, Tucson,
Arizona.
Michigan Agricultural College,
East Lansing, Michigan.
New Hampshire College, Durham,
New Hampshire.
Cornell University, State College
OF Agriculture, Ithaca, New York.
State University, College of Agri-
culture, Columbus, Ohio.
Free Reading Courses in Agriculture
Offered by the Department
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 agri-
cultural training in the past three
years. They will enable all who have
the inclination and any spare time TO
follow out a thorough course, the
qualifications hainp sunnliad for moth