that industry would be made most prominent, and in a stock-raising state the kindred industry of cattle breeding and management, while in grain-growing and horticultural states those interests would appear most prominently. It is therefore not desirable to give any actual course, lest it should be misunderstood by the casual reader to be the usual course, when, as a matter of fact, there may be no two colleges in the country which give the same course. The proper thing is for any one desiring to take a short course in the university to address the director of the Experiment Station of his state, who is always connected with the Agricultural College, and usually the head of it, and ascertain what course is offered. Instruction is usually free to residents of the state. In California, and perhaps other states, no regular "short course" is announced, but any student is welcome to come at any time, take whatever studies he desires and is prepared for, and leave when he chooses, or when he must.

The subjects most suitable for a general short course are AGRICULTURAL PHYSICS, including not only the physics of the soil, but the principles affecting the draft of wagons and machinery, the building of country roads, wells, pumps, and windmills, construction of silos, and the like.

PLANT LIFE is a fundamental topic, including seed and its germination and all the process of growth.

PLANT PATHOLOGY logically follows the study of plant life, dealing, as it does, with diseases of plants, and, usually, their remedies.

BREEDING AND JUDGING LIVE STOCK of all kinds is a usual topic, together

with

FEEDS AND FEEDING, in which the student learns the principles of animal nutrition, and the science of feeding in such a manner as to derive most profit from the outlay.

VETERINARY SCIENCE is naturally included in a study of the care of live stock, and usually forms part of a short course. A two-year (two-term) course would usually include lectures in

AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY, of which, in any case, the student would absorb a good deal.

THE ECONOMICS OF AGRICULTURE is included in the short course of one university, and is likely to appear in more. It deals with such topics as are

discussed in this volume.

In different colleges, as already stated, different topics are included. Among them are such subjects as Farm Mechanics, Dairying, Bacteriology, Farm Bookkeeping, Organization of Farms, Entomology, and the like. No one should imagine that in a course of two terms it is possible to obtain any great mastery of any of these subjects. But the student's eyes will be opened. He will breathe the university air. He will be inspired by contact with earnest and wise men. He will begin to learn how to think, and how to investigate, and if there is anything in him of value, he will be made a student for the rest of his life.

Appendix C.

I. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE COMMON SCHOOLS OF NEW YORK.

The beginnings of systematic instruction in agriculture in the common schools of New York is unique in that it resulted from a popular movement originated and carried through by the farmers themselves. Such movements seldom, if ever, crystallize into law, unless actively promoted by those interested. This involves not merely the adoption of “resolutions," which cost nothing, but the sending of some qualified person to the capital of the state during the session of the Legislature, to press it upon the attention of members of that body until the necessary votes are secured. This costs money, unless some public-spirited person is found able and willing to serve at his own expense, and it is greatly to the credit of western New York that they originated the plan and sent their agent to Albany to attend to the passage of the law. As first enacted the law was local, appropriating a comparatively small sum to be expended, at the discretion of Cornell University. The language of the first act was substantially the same, in this respect, as that of the law of 1899, which is given below. This general language left the university free to use its judgment as to methods, and the first work was avowedly experimental. The success, however, was so immediate and marked that after the first year or two the appropriation was largely increased, and was directed to be expended "throughout the state," as expressed in the act of 1899, which is here printed as a model for farmers in other states to work for. Its great value is that it leaves the university authorities untrammeled. Conditions in different states will seldom be the same, and it is wisest to leave the university authorities free to deal with whatever conditions may exist, they being held responsible that interest among farmers shall be actually awakened, and agricultural instruction actually brought to the homes of the people. As the result of the New York law, the director of the Cornell Station lately wrote me that the station was directly influencing more than 200,000 persons.

THE NEW YORK LAW.

The people of the state of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. For the promotion of agricultural knowledge throughout the state, the sum of $35,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby

appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated to be paid to the College of Agriculture at Cornell University, to be expended in giving instruction throughout the state by means of schools, lectures, and other university extension methods, or otherwise, and in conducting investigations and experiments; in discovering the diseases of plants and remedies; in ascertaining the best method of fertilization of fields, gardens, and plantations; and best modes of tillage and farm management and improvement of live stock; and in printing and disseminating agricultural knowledge by means of lectures or otherwise; and in preparing and printing for free distribution the results of such investigations and experiments; and for republishing such bulletins as may be useful in the furtherance of the work; and such other information as may be deemed desirable and profitable in promoting the agricultural interests of the state. Such College of Agriculture may, with the consent and approval of the commissioner of agriculture, employ teachers and experts and necessary clerical help to assist in carrying out the purposes of this bill. Such teachers, experts, and clerical help may be removed by the College of Agriculture in its discretion; and may be paid for their services such sum or sums as may be deemed reasonable and proper and as shall be approved by the commissioner of agriculture. All of such work by such teachers and experts who shall be employed under this bill shall be under the general supervision and direction of the commissioner of agriculture. The sum appropriated by this act shall be paid by the treasurer of the state upon the warrant of the comptroller to the treasurer of Cornell University, upon such treasurer filing with the comptroller a bond in such sum and with such sureties as the comptroller my approve, conditioned for the faithful application of such sum to the purposes for which the same is hereby appropriated. Such sum shall be payable by the treasurer of Cornell University upon vouchers approved by the officers or agents of such university having charge of such College of Agriculture, and such vouchers shall be filed by the treasurer of Cornell University in the office of the comptroller of the state.

SEC. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. [This act is renewed every year.]

II. HELPS FOR TEACHERS.

Under this law actual university work is being carried directly to the homes of the farmers of New York. This is done partly by means of "itinerant schools," conducted for a day or two at a time in rural sehool-houses or elsewhere, by competent persons sent out by the university. The necessity of this work will tend to disappear as rural teachers become better qualified for the work. As an aid to teachers in qualifying themselves the university from time to time issues "leaflets," some of which describe the nature of the work to be done, while others give sample lessons in full. I give examples of both classes of the leaflets, which are, of course, intended for teachers, although they will do the pupils no harm.

1. A DESCRIPTIVE LEAFLET.

[This leaflet is entitled "Teacher's Leaflet, No. 6," and was issued by the College of Agriculture, Cornell University, May 10, 1898.]

WHAT IS NATURE STUDY?

BY L. H. BAILEY.

It is seeing the things which one looks at, and the drawing of proper conclusions from what one sees. Nature study is not the study of a science, as of

botany, entomology, geology, and the like.

That is, it takes the things at

hand and endeavors to understand them, without reference to the systematic order or relationships of the objects. It is wholly informal and unsystematic, the same as the objects are which one sees. It is entirely divorced from definitions, or from explanations in books. It is, therefore, supremely natural. It simply trains the eye and the mind to see and to comprehend the common things of life; and the result is not directly the acquirement of science but the establishing of a living sympathy with everything that is.

The proper objects of nature study are the things which one oftenest meets. To-day it is a stone; to-morrow it is a twig, a bird, an insect, a leaf, a flower. The child, or even the high-school pupil, is first interested in things which do not need to be analyzed or changed into unusual forms or problems. Therefore, problems of chemistry and of physics are for the most part unsuited to early lessons in nature study. Moving things, as birds, insects and mammals, interest children most and therefore seem to be the proper subjects for naturestudy; but it is often difficult to secure specimens when wanted especially in liberal quantity, and still more difficult to see the objects in perfectly natural conditions. Plants are more easily had, and are, therefore, more practicable for the purpose, although animals and minerals should by no means be excluded.

If the objects to be studied are informal, the methods of teaching should be the same. If nature study were made a stated part of a curriculum, its purpose would be defeated. The chiefest difficulty with our present school methods is the necessary formality of the courses and the hours. Tasks are set, and tasks are always hard. The only way to teach nature study is, with no course laid out, to bring in whatever object may be handy and to set the pupils to looking at it. The pupils do the work,-they see the thing and explain its structure and its meaning. The exercise should not be long, not to exceed fifteen minutes at any time, and, above all things, the pupil should never look upon it as a recitation, and there should never be an examination. It should come as a rest exercise, whenever the pupils become listless. Ten minutes a day, for one term, of a short, sharp, and spicy observation upon plants, for example, is worth more than a whole text-book of botany.

In

The teacher should studiously avoid definitions, and the setting of patterns. The old idea of the model flower is a pernicious one, simply because it does not exist in nature. The model flower, the complete leaf, and the like, are inferences, and pupils should always begin with things and not with ideas. other words, the ideas should be suggested by the things, and not the things by the ideas. "Here is a drawing of a model flower," the old method says; go and find the nearest approach to it." "Go and find me a flower," is the true method, "and let us see what it is."

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Every child, and every grown person too, for that matter, is interested in nature study, for it is the natural method of acquiring knowledge. The only difficulty lies in the teaching, for very few teachers have had any drill or experience in this informal method of drawing out the observing and reasoning powers of the pupil wholly without the use of text-books. The teacher must first of all feel the living interest in natural objects which it is desired the pupils shall acquire. If the enthusiasm is not catching, better let such teaching alone.

All this means that the teacher will need helps. He will need to inform himself before he attempts to inform the pupil. It is not necessary that he become a scientist in order to do this. He simply goes as far as he knows, and then says to the pupils that he can not answer the questions which he can not. This at once raises his estimation in the mind of the pupil, for the pupil is convinced of his truthfulness, and is made to feel-but how seldom is the sensation!—that knowledge is not the peculiar property of the teacher but is the right of any one who seeks it. It sets the pupil investigating for himself. The teacher never needs to apologize for nature. He is teaching simply

because he is an older and more experienced pupil than his pupil is. This is just the spirit of the teacher in the universities to-day. The best teacher is the one whose pupils farthest outrun him.

In order to help the teacher in the rural schools of New York, we have conceived of a series of leaflets explaining how the common objects can be made interesting to children. Whilst these are intended for the teacher, there is no harm in giving them to the pupil; but the leaflets should never be used as texts to make recitations from. Now and then, take the children for a ramble in the woods or fields, or go to the brook or lake. Call their attention to the interesting things which you meet--whether you yourself understand them or not-in order to teach them to see and to find some point of sympathy; for every one of them will some day need the solace and the rest which this nature love can give them. It is not the mere information which is valuable; that may be had by asking some one wiser than they, but the inquiring and sympathetic spirit is one's own.

The pupils will find their lessons easier to acquire for this respite of ten minutes with a leaf or an insect, and the school-going will come to be less perfunctory. If you must teach drawing, set the picture in a leaflet before the pupils for study, and then substitute the object. If you must teach composition, let the pupils write upon what they have seen. After a time, give ten minutes now and then to asking the children what they saw on their way to school.

Now, why is the College of Agriculture of Cornell University interesting itself in this work? It is trying to help the farmer, and it begins with the most teachable point,-the child. The district school can not teach agriculture any more than it can teach law or engineering or any other profession or trade, but it can interest the child in nature and in rural problems and thereby fasten its sympathies to the country. The child will teach the parent. The coming generation will see the result. In the interest of humanity and country, we ask for help.

II. A SAMPLE LESSON.

[This is entitled "Teacher's Leaflet No. 1," and was issued by the College of Agriculture, Cornell University, May 10, 1898.]

NOTE. These leaflets are intended for the teacher, not for the scholars. It is their purpose to suggest the method which a teacher may pursue in instructing children at odd times in nature study. The teacher should show the children the objects them. selves,-should plant the seeds, raise the plants, collect the insects, etc.; or, better, he should interest the children to collect the objects. Advanced pupils, however, may be given the leaflets and asked to perform the experiments or make the observations which are suggested. The scholars themselves should be taught to do the work and to arrive at independent conclusions. Teachers who desire to inform themselves more fully upon the motives of this nature-study teaching, should write for a copy of Bulletin 122 of the Cornell Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y.

HOW A SQUASH GETS OUT OF THE SEED.

BY L. H. BAILEY.

If one were to plant seeds of a Hubbard or Boston Marrow squash in loose warm earth in a pan or box, and were then to leave the parcel for a week or ten days, he would find, upon his return, a colony of plants like that shown in Fig. 1. If he had not planted the seeds himself or had not seen such plants before, he would not believe that these curious plants would ever grow into squash vines, so different are they from the vines which we know in the garden. This, itself, is a most