THE NORMAL 
 SCHOOL QUARTERLY 
 
 Series 11 Janaary, 1913 Number 46 
 
 The Teaching of Agriculture In the 
 Public Schools of Illinois 
 
 By 
 
 IRWIN A. MADDEN 
 
 : £$m ' ; m ' 5 l c 
 
 PUBLISH! BY THE ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY, IN 
 JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, AND OGTOBER OF EACH 
 YEAR AT NORMAL, ILLINOIS 
 
 Enterd August IS, 1902, at Normal, Illinois, as Second-Class Matter Under 
 Act of Congress of July 16, 1894. 
 

 
 Mil 
 
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 vX-1 
 
 
 
 1 
 
THE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURE IN THE 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF ILLINOIS 
 
 The Need of Improved Methods of Agriculture 
 
 The population of the United States is increasing with 
 a rapidity which startles us. Thirty-five years ago it was 
 only half what it is today. New cities of thousands of people 
 have sprung up within a few years, and the population of 
 the older cities often doubles in a short time; yet few of us 
 realize what this means to the American people or to the 
 peo'ple of the whole world. It means that this legion of 
 people who are making homes in America must be fed, and 
 they must be fed from the American soil. The mines 
 and factories of* America cannot feed them, nor can we look 
 to the foren counties, where all that is produced is consumed 
 or barterd for other foods for home consumption. Food- 
 stuffs have not made a long list in the American imports, 
 and the time will come when the importation of foodstuffs 
 will be still less, for the foren supply is limited. 
 
 Together with this rapid increase in the demand for 
 more foodstuffs, we are confronted with the fact that the 
 soils of the new world are decreasing in fertility year after 
 year. The best of our soils were used when the population 
 was sparse, and the markets were glutted with the products 
 of the farms of the United Slates; but today we see the mar- 
 kets unsatisfied and the fertility decreasing or gone from 
 some of our best soils. Together with the increase in our 
 population and the decrease in the fertility of soils comes a 
 greater complexity in the operation and management of our 
 lands. The farmer can no longer get along with little or no 
 education, but he must be alive to all the complex problems 
 that confront farmers of the present generation; and if he is 
 to belong to the next generation, he must be even more wide 
 awake to be successful. The reclamation of thousands of 
 square miles of swamp lands, the irrigation of large areas of 
 arid land, and the re-fertilization of worn-out land are 
 problems which the farmer of today and tomorrow must 
 face. Every acre of land must be made more productiv if 
 the food-problem of the future is to be solvd satisfactorily. 
 The farmer must change his methods from the extensiv, 
 wasteful agriculture of the past to the intensiv, economical 
 agriculture of the future. 
 
 1 
 
2 
 
 Public Schools to Aid the Movement for Improved Farming 
 
 In view of the facts that the price of land is increasing, 
 its fertility decreasing, and agricultural operations becom- 
 ing more and more complex, the question arises as to what 
 the people of the state ot Illinois are to do to bear their part 
 in solving the problem before us. The struggle for exist- 
 ence is here; and the people of one of the greatest agri- 
 cultural states will not stand back and wait to be led. They 
 will look for someway to bear their part of the burden, and 
 they should not be long in discovering that the way to meet 
 the issue successfully is to educate, not apart, but all of the 
 coming generation of farmers. Every future farmer that is 
 now in our public schools should have a chance to study 
 the principles of his life work, and the school that is not 
 providing this instruction is negligent. The agricultural 
 colleges are serving only a few of the many farmers of the 
 state, and scientific agriculture cannot be a success until 
 more have a chance for agricultural education. 
 
 The wide awake men of every profession of the state 
 have begun to realize the need for educated farmers, and 
 they have joind forces to secure legislation that has this 
 end in view. Farmers themselvs and every class of business 
 men whose business interests throw them in contact with the 
 farmers can see the great difference between the educated 
 farmer and the typical farmer of a century ago. They want 
 men who will farm to suit the needs of the times and not as 
 their fathers did. The schools have begun to realize the 
 situation, and are uniting with the business men and farmers 
 to secure agricultural instruction in our schools. Move- 
 ments are on foot to secure the aid of the State of Illinois 
 in any attempt a school may make for securing instruction 
 in agriculture. 
 
 The Gall for Teachers of Agriculture 
 
 Alredy there are schools in the State of Illinois that 
 are offering instruction in agriculture, and every year there 
 will be many more added to this list. Every year there will 
 be calls for teachers to fill new positions created by the 
 instaling of courses of agriculture in our high schools; and 
 legislation giving state aid to the schools wishing to instal a 
 course in agriculture will make the demand much greater. 
 
3 
 
 These teachers will be paid excellent salaries, for the people 
 who are employing a teacher want the man who under- 
 stands farm conditions from beginning to end, and they 
 realize that this man must be well paid. They know the 
 vast fields open to the traind farmer and will pay the price 
 to secure him. He should be paid and will be paid as well 
 as the best menin other branches of the teaching profession. 
 
 The Preparation of Teachers of Agriculture 
 
 In the coming years there will be such a demand for 
 teachers of agriculture that all the institutions of the country 
 which are preparing teachers can not overstock the market; 
 therefore, there should be no quibble among the different 
 institutions as to which should furnish Ihe teachers for 
 the secondary schools of Ihe state. The courses of instruc- 
 tion in the agricultural colleges have generally been de- 
 signd for farmers rather than teachers. The students grad- 
 uating from these colleges are equipt with subject-matter, 
 but have paid little or no attention to the art of teaching. 
 On the other hand, the normal schools were created for the 
 express purpose of training teachers for the schools of the 
 state. Their work should expand with the expanding needs 
 of the public schools. It would seem logical therefore that 
 the normal schools should equip themselvs with suitable 
 laboratories and other equipment for the training of teachers 
 of agriculture for the public schools of the state. 
 
 The Illinois State Normal University is at present com- 
 pleting a new agricultural laboratory. It will be equipt 
 with such material as is necessary for the preparation of 
 teachers of agriculture, and for carrying on courses in 
 agriculture in our Model School. Students working in 
 this laboratory will become familiar with the apparatus and 
 material necessary for the teaching of agriculture in high 
 schools. 
 
 In addition to the agricultural laboratory the Normal 
 University possesses a farm of ninety-seven acres, which is 
 to be used to further agricultural education. As fast as 
 possible bildings and stock, such as should make up the 
 equipment of a model farm, will be added. This farm 
 will be self-sustaining and will furnish the practical labor- 
 atory for agricultural instruction. The students of the 
 
4 
 
 Illinois State Normal University who are preparing to teach 
 agriculture have ample opportunity for practis teaching. 
 Glasses in agriculture in the Model School are taught by 
 prospectiv agricultural teachers, under the careful super- 
 vision of traind critic teachers. 
 
 Choosing the Teacher and Course 
 
 If any community undertakes to instal a course in agri- 
 culture in its school it should use the utmost caution to see 
 that it introduces a course that will serv the people of the 
 community. Courses are often introduced into schools that 
 have little or no connection with the lives of the people of 
 the community. We must remember that agriculture is a 
 vocational subject, and it must be made to serv the patrons 
 of the school. If one is teaching agriculture in central 
 Illinois, he should not let his students get away from the 
 school without their knowing considerable about corn, and 
 the crops that grow’ best in rotation with corn; if he lives in 
 northern Illinois he should not specialize so much on the 
 growing of corn as on the problems that confront the farmer 
 of northern Illinois. In some sections of northern and 
 southern Illinois it might be well to study forestry, but in 
 the prairies of central Illinois the student should spend his 
 time in a study of the crops that will do well in that part of 
 the state. In addition to considerable time spent in the 
 agriculture of the community, the student should get in 
 his high-school course a broad knowledge of agricultural 
 conditions, so that he need not be confined to his home com- 
 * munity for his livelihood. He should have a view of the sub- 
 ject that will enable him to make good wherever he may go 
 to use his knowledge. 
 
 In the closing pages of this quarterly there is outlined 
 a general course in agriculture that should give the student 
 a valuable insight into the subject; and if the teacher will 
 emphasize the agriculture included in the outline and adapt 
 it to the community where it is taught, the student upon 
 finishing should be in condition to carry on farming profit- 
 ably. Outside of placing considerable emphasis on the 
 farming operations of one’s own community, the student in 
 the secondary school should never attempt to specialize in 
 in any one phase of the subj ect. He may be more interested 
 
5 
 
 and may do more and better work in one phase than in 
 another, but he should spend Ihe limited time that he has at 
 his command in the high school in getting a general knowl- 
 edge of the subject. 
 
 Science Study to Accompany the Course in Agriculture 
 
 In laying out courses in agriculture for secondary 
 schools, one must not forget the important fact that agricul- 
 ture is based on four sciences; viz., chemistry, physics, bot- 
 any, and zoology. Without considerable knowledge of these 
 sciences the farmer of the next generation cannot be well- 
 prepared for his work. It is true that he may get these 
 sciences in his agricultural work, but it will require as much 
 time to get them in the agricultural courses as it wilJ in the 
 separate courses, and they will be better taught in the latter. 
 Therefore adequate provision must be made for a study of 
 these basic sciences. In addition to the above-named sciences 
 as the foundation to all agriculture, the student should 
 gain some knowledge of geografy, physiografy, and physi- 
 ology. In the course outlined herein half the time of the 
 student is devoted to agriculture and some other science 
 study. This arrangement should be held to firmly, for the 
 student will be seriously handicapt if he remains ignorant 
 of the sciences upon which agriculture is based. Any phase 
 of agriculture studied will require some knowledge of the 
 four fundamental sciences. It is impossible, however, to 
 teach all the four fundamental sciences prior to a course in 
 agriculture. It is better to devote the first year o’f the high- 
 school course to a course in general science, and in that 
 course teach such principles as are required as a foundation 
 for the more simple problems in agriculture. After the year 
 of general sciences, the remaining three years should be 
 devoted to special courses in the sciences somewhat in the 
 proportion as shown in the outline. In the second year he 
 should have at least half a year of zoology and half a year 
 of botany. This biology will give him a helpful insight 
 into the work, but he would be far better off if he could de- 
 vote a whole year’s time to each of the subjects. There is so 
 much to be lernd about farm insects, weeds, fungi, and the 
 bacteria of the farm, that, altho much can be done in one 
 year’s work, yet many important things must remain un- 
 
6 
 
 toucht. The third year at least should be devoted to chem- 
 istry and the fourth year to physics. 
 
 The idea of having science along with the course in 
 agriculture is fundamental. If agriculture is to be a suc- 
 cess the sciences must accompany it, and it will surely fail if 
 it travels alone. In many schools where agriculture is intro- 
 duced, it is allowd to take the place of some of the other 
 sciences, and people wonder why agriculture has faild. 
 When we accept the fact that there are certain fundamental 
 scientific truths which must precede every course in scien- 
 tific agriculture, then we can begin to reap solid values from 
 our courses in agriculture. The study of agriculture is in- 
 troduced into the curriculum to train the young farmer and 
 the course should be pland with his training in mind. We 
 cannot make of him both a Latin scholar and a farmer. We 
 still leave half the program for education in the duties of 
 citizenship, for training in the mother tung, and for an ac- 
 quaintance with some of our best literature. 
 
 Outline For a High-School Course in Agriculture 
 
 In the following course of study the arrangement of the 
 topics has been held to as logical an outline as possible, 
 but where items of much interest are redy for study on the 
 farm the logical gives way to a chronological arrangement 
 of the subject-matter. The material is similar and arranged 
 in much the same order as is recommended by the Edu- 
 cational Commission of the State of Illinois, but such 
 changes have been made in the general and detaild 
 arrangement as were found to be advizable after teaching 
 the course both in the Illinois State Normal University and 
 in the University High School. In the Illinois State Normal 
 University, the work recommended for a four-year course 
 in the secondary schools is canvast in two, years. In addi- 
 tion the students study more difficult texts, and do more 
 laboratory and library work. 
 
 The teacher, in pursuing the following outlined course, 
 should never forget that the farms of the community are 
 his laboratories and he should make use of them whenever 
 it is best to do so. Great care should be taken in making 
 trips to the farms. A definit plan should be outlined before 
 the class starts, or the trip is likely to be a failure. Much 
 
7 
 
 time can be wasted in trips if they are not carefully pland 
 and executed. In planning these out-door lessons the 
 teacher should always consider the time that will be spent, 
 and if the material can be brought to the classroom or 
 laboratory and studied with as much thoroness and in less 
 time this should be done in preference to the field trip. 
 
 Each year’s work is outlined under three general topics 
 and these topics are held to as closely as possible during 
 the part of the school year in which they are to be taught; 
 but where they chronologically overlap they are outlined 
 where they can be taught to the best advantage. Beginning 
 with the first of September the school year is divided into 
 half-month periods and the material that is best taught in 
 those periods is outlined under those dates. These half- 
 month periods are groupt into three-month periods, and 
 during one of these periods one of the general topics is 
 canvast. 
 
 First Year 
 
 Fall months Domesticated animals 
 
 Winter months Animal production 
 
 Spring months Orchard and garden 
 
 Fall Months : Domesticated Animals 
 
 September 1-15 . — The anatomy of the horse as studied 
 from the skeleton, chart, and living animal ; identification 
 and history of the breeds of draft, coach, and road horses. 
 
 Note on silo study . — Before going on with the study of 
 the horse it is best to make a study of the filling of the silo. 
 The student should observ the actual filling of one of the 
 silos of the neighborhood. 
 
 September 16-30 . — Study of the market classes and 
 grades of the horse ; practis in identifying breeds and classes 
 of horses; contrasting of driving and draft horses; location 
 and identification of blemishes. 
 
 October 1-15 . — Judging the horse from the market and 
 breeder’s standpoint. Considerable time should be spent in 
 study of the score card and in the judging of the horse. It 
 is best to have as many classes as possible represented. 
 More than one example of each class should be studied. 
 Care should be taken to select good horses for the first trials 
 or the students will judge the poor ones too high. 
 
 October 16-31 . — The anatomy of the cow as studied 
 
8 
 
 from the chart, skeleton, and living specimen; identification 
 and history of the breeds of cattle. 
 
 November 1-45. — Contrasting of the dairy and beef types 
 of cattle; the identification and history of breeds of hogs; 
 contrasting of the fat and bacon types of hogs. 
 
 November 16-30. — Study of the breeds of sheep; con- 
 trasting of the wool and mutton breeds; study of the breeds 
 and classes of chickens belonging to the meat, dual purpose, 
 and egg types. 
 
 Winter Months: Animal Production 
 
 December 1-15 . — Care and feeding of hens for winter 
 laying; review of the physiology of digestion, absorption, 
 and assimilation of the different foods of the animal body. 
 
 December 16-31. — The nutritiv ratio; the balanced 
 ration for the horse, cow, pig, and sheep. 
 
 January 1-15. — Silage, legumes, grasses, and roots as 
 foods; grains and their by-products as foods. 
 
 January , 16-31 . — The arrangement and care of the san- 
 itary dairy barn; sanitary production of milk and butter ; 
 testing of milk for butter fat, adulterants, and acid. 
 
 February 1-15 . — Testing of herds; calculation of in- 
 comes from cows. 
 
 Note on horticulture study. — At this point the making 
 of root grafts and cuttings should be taken up. This 
 should be followd by the pruning of grapes and of trees. 
 
 February ■ 16-28 . — Hardening the horse for spring work; 
 study of the different cuts of meat; the use of the incubator ; 
 the production of spring chicks; the construction and use 
 of brooders. 
 
 Spring Months: Orchards and Gardens 
 
 March 1-15. — The construction and planting of the hot- 
 bed and cold frame; top-grafting of apple trees. 
 
 March 16-31. — Planning the home and school gardens; 
 planting of ornamental trees and shrubs; planting of tree 
 and bush fruits; identification of ornamental trees and 
 shrubs; treatment of potatoes for scab. 
 
 April 1-15 . — Planting the home and school gardens; 
 study of the insect and fungous enemies of trees and shrubs ; 
 
9 
 
 mixing of spray mixtures; setting of grafts and cuttings; 
 care of transplanted trees. 
 
 April 16-30 . — Spraying of fruit trees and shrubs; plant- 
 ing and care of beds of asparagus, rhubarb, etc.; setting the 
 strawberry bed; continued planting of home and school 
 gardens. 
 
 May 1-15 . — Continued spraying of tree and bush fruits; 
 special study of the plumcurculio and its eradication; iden- 
 tification of ornamental trees and shrubs in bloom and leaf; 
 resetting of hotbed and cold frame plants. 
 
 Maxf 16-31 . — Marketing of early vegetables; care of cab- 
 bage, tomato, and sweet potato beds; planting of late cab- 
 bage and sweet corn; study of the insect enemies of garden 
 vegetables; spraying of vegetables; the care of the garden 
 during vacation. 
 
 Second Year 
 
 Fall months Farm crops 
 
 Winter months Soil physics 
 
 Spring months Crop production 
 
 Fall Months: Farm Crops 
 
 September 1-15 . — Study of the preparation of wheat 
 fields; testing seed wheat for germination; study of the 
 Hessian fly; cleaning of seed wheat; preparation of seed 
 bed for alfalfa; sowing of alfalfa. 
 
 September 16-30. — Sowing of wheat and timothy; study 
 of legumes; study of cornfield weeds; collection of seeds of 
 weeds and legumes; identification of seeds. 
 
 October 1-15. — Study of timothy, bluegrass, . redtop, 
 millet, sorghums, and orchard grass; selection and storing 
 of seed corn. 
 
 October 16-31. — Study of the methods of storing of 
 corn, wheat, and oats; shrinkage of grains in storing; 
 grading and testing of different varieties of grains. 
 
 November 1-15 . — Comparison of good and poor stands 
 of corn; study of methods used in cutting corn for fodder 
 or stover;' study of methods of harvesting corn; fall plow- 
 ing contrasted with spring plowing. 
 
 November 16-30. — Judging of corn with the score card. 
 This work should comprise two weeks thoro work. The 
 class should be drild in the work with the score card, and 
 in the ability to select seed corn from the field or wagon. 
 
10 
 
 Winter Months: Soil Physics 
 
 December 1 -1 5 . — Field trips to inspect and collect the 
 types of soils of the community; testing of different types 
 of soils for capillary water ; study of the apparent specific 
 gravity of soils; the capillary action in different soils. 
 
 December 16-31 . — Based on a study of the capillary 
 action of the soils the student should take up a study of the 
 rainfalls necessary for each soil, and the tile necessary to 
 drain the soils. 
 
 January 1-15 . — The effect of lime on soils; study of the 
 plasticity of different soils; effects of freezing and thawing 
 on soils; the effects of puddling on soils. 
 
 January 16-31 . — These two weeks should be entirely 
 taken up with the study of methods of conserving the mois- 
 ture of the soil. This can be done indoors as well as outside. 
 
 February 1-15 . — Conditions of germination and growth; 
 methods of handling different types of soils to secure the 
 maximum of growth. 
 
 February 16-28 . — The effects of organic matter on the 
 color, temperature and water-holding capacity of the soil; 
 the effects of color and drainage on the temperature of the 
 soil. 
 
 Spring Months: Crop Production 
 
 March 1-15 . — Testing of oats and corn for germination; 
 treating of oats and smut;, cleaning and grading of oats, 
 sowing of clover and timothy on wheat and rye land; stool- 
 ing of the wheat and rye plant. 
 
 March 16-31 . — Breaking and cutting of corn stalks; 
 disking for oats seeding as compared to plowing; drilling 
 versus broadcasting; oats as a nurse crop for clover and 
 timothy. 
 
 April 1-15 . — Permanent pastures and their seeding; 
 best time to begin pasturing in the spring; pastures versus 
 silage feeding in the yard; treating of oats to kill mustard. 
 
 April 16-30 . — Methods of preparing ground for corn; 
 green manures for corn; stable manure for corn; insect 
 enemies of corn, especially for corn-root aphis and the cut- 
 worms. 
 
 May 1-15 . — Thick and thin planting of corn; deep and 
 shallow planting of corn; securing a perfect stand of corn; 
 
11 
 
 replanting of corn; collection and study of corn-field and 
 corn-root aphis. This subject was taken up in the two 
 previous weeks to prepare for their invasion of the corn- 
 field. After the corn begins to grow they can be collected 
 for further study. 
 
 May 16-31 . — Study of the root and stalk growth of the 
 corn plant; deep and shallow cultivation of corn. Laying 
 by the corn; advantages of one row cultivators for laying 
 by the corn; study of handling of all crops during vaca- 
 tion. This should include a study of the methods of curing 
 hay, harvesting grain, and sowing any summer crops. 
 
 Third Year 
 
 Fall months Cement construction and drainage 
 
 Winter months Farm bookkeeping 
 
 Spring months Farm machinery 
 
 Fali, Months: Cement Construction and Drainage 
 
 September 1 -1 5 . — Location and methods of tile drain- 
 age; 1 leveling, digging ditches and laying tile drains and 
 sewer pipe. 
 
 September 16-30. — Study of materials and proportions 
 in concrete mixing; laying of concrete walls; laying of 
 concrete walks and floors. 
 
 October 1-15. — The reinforcement of concrete walls and 
 floors: concrete bridges and tile outlets. 
 
 October 16-31. — Setting fence posts in concrete; rein- 
 forced concrete posts; concrete tile and block machinery; 
 making of concrete blocks and tiles. 
 
 November 1-15. — Construction of concrete bildings; 
 blocks versus solid concrete ; construction of concrete silos; 
 reinforcing of block concrete; concrete as a stable floor. 
 
 November 16-30.-^ Here again the study of drainage and 
 the water supply is taken up. The concrete construction 
 work should all be completed before hevy freezes occur. 
 Drainage for helth; source of water supply for houses and 
 barns; locating and drilling the w T ell; the sanitary water 
 system. 
 
 Winter Months : Farm Bookkeeping 
 
 December 1 -February 23. — This entire term is taken up 
 with the study of farm bookkeeping. There is no chrono- 
 logical arrangement of the study necessary, hence it is not 
 divided into half-month periods. If the study of farm 
 
12 
 
 bookkeeping is taken up it should be made as practicable as 
 possible and this can be done only by actually keeping books 
 on some of the farms of the community. Many of the 
 students will be willing to furnish data for the classes, and 
 will be aided themselvs by having a set of books kept for 
 the farm. 
 
 Sprino Months : Farm Machinery 
 
 March 1-15. — The first two weeks of the course should 
 be spent in the study of the gas engine as a means of farm 
 power ; the gas tractor, and the gas engine as a farm convey- 
 ance. 
 
 March 16-31. — Planning the farm, power house; the 
 windmill as a farm-power machine ;■ general farm-power 
 machinery. 
 
 April 1-15. — The adjusting of gang and sulky plows in 
 the field; grain drills; disk harrows; stalk cutters. 
 
 April 16-30. — Manure spreaders, clod crushers, rollers, 
 harrows, corn planters. 
 
 May 1-15. — Corn cultivators, weeders, mowers, rakes, 
 loaders, and other machinery of the season. 
 
 May 16-31 . — The last two weeks of the course should be 
 devoted to the study of the reaper, grain binder, and corn 
 binder. The students should have practis in overhauling 
 these farm machines, and in getting them in shape for act- 
 ual running. 
 
 Fourth Year 
 
 Fall months Soil fertility 
 
 Winter months Farm management 
 
 Spring months Animal and plant improvement 
 
 Fall Months : Soil Fertility 
 
 September 1-15. — The laying out of permanent soil 
 plots; treatment of plots with different kinds of fertilizers; 
 study of results from previously establish! plots;- seeding of 
 alfalfa on plots. 
 
 September 15-30. — Sources of various fertilizers, and 
 limestone;- fertilizers needed by the various types of soils. 
 
 October 1-15. — Rotation of crops for the preservation of 
 fertility; the leguminous crops as sources of fertilizers. 
 
 October 15-31 . — Care and methods of handling crop 
 residues and farm manures to secure the maximum amount 
 
13 
 
 of fertility from themy the value of the different kinds of 
 farm manures as fertilizers. 
 
 November Prevention of fermentation and putre- 
 
 faction in manures. Preservation of available nitrogen in 
 the soil; 1 loss of nitrogen by denitrification and drainage. 
 
 November 16-30. — Detaild study of the sources and 
 economic application of nitrogen and phosphorus; prac- 
 tical application of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers. 
 
 Winter Months: Farm Management 
 
 December 1-15. — In the course in farm management 
 each student should select some farm and make drawings 
 of it showing the location of all the fences, ditches, tile 
 drains and other permanent fixtures. The location of all 
 the farm bildings should be made in detail. 
 
 December 16-31 . — The careful planning of a farm house 
 suitable for the farm chosen, and the equipping of the same. 
 
 January 1-15 . — The planning of a suitable set of out- 
 bildings for the farm regardless of the ones alredy in ex- 
 istence. 
 
 January 16-31 . — Stocking of the farm, laying out of the 
 fields, and calculating the possible yield per acre. 
 
 February 1-15 . — Detaild plans for the planting of the 
 home grounds. In these plans the student should make a 
 careful survey, plan and estimate the cost of planting the 
 shrubs and trees. 
 
 February. 16-28— Making out of deeds, mortgages, 
 leases, and the study of the important points of law con- 
 cerning the farmer. 
 
 Spring Months: Animal and Plant Improvement 
 
 March 1-15 . — Natural selection and the origin of plants 
 and animals; artificial selection and the origin of our 
 domesticated breeds and species. 
 
 March 16-31 . — At this time a study of in-breeding, close 
 breeding, line breeding, and cross-breeding should be taken 
 up. 
 
 April 1-15 . — Grossing of different species of maize to 
 produce new varieties, the production of new varieties 
 of apples. 
 
14 
 
 April 16-30 . — Breeding of plants for high and low pro- 
 tein, and oil; the production of new varieties of our cul- 
 tivated plants, and the improvement of wild species. 
 
 May 1-15 . — Trapnesting of hens to secure better layers, 
 better show birds, and brighter plumage. Production of 
 desired characteristics in animals and plants. 
 
 May 16-31 . — Breeding of the various types and breeds 
 of farm animals; advantages of pure-bred animals over 
 cross-bred animals; bilding up a pure-bred herd. 
 
 Where Agriculture Should Be Taught 
 
 Agriculture to-day is finding its way into the larger high 
 schools much faster than it is getting into the smaller 
 schools of the state, and the reverse should be true. When 
 agriculture is taken up in the larger high schools, many 
 students enrol because it is a novelty, and not because they 
 ever expect to be farmers. This is bad both for the students 
 and for the course, for as a rule such students cause an 
 atmosfere in the class which is not conduciv to the best re- 
 sults. If agriculture is taught in the large high schools, it 
 should be made interesting, but at the same time so rigor- 
 ous that it will drive out all those who enter merely for the 
 credils they think can be easily gaind. If this can be done, 
 agriculture will command and hold a place with any of the 
 subjects of the curriculum. 
 
 The village high schools and consolidated country high 
 schools are the ideal places for the teaching of agriculture, 
 for it is in these schools that the young farmers are traind, 
 and it is in these schools that every one thinks agriculture 
 and speaks agriculture all the time. It is the occupation of 
 thb community, and the boys who are growing up are going 
 into the same occupation. They are the boys who should 
 have this training, and not the lads of the larger city who 
 will go to the factory rather than the farm. In the smaller 
 towns and in the country schools the teacher should have 
 access to the farms of the community. These farms should 
 be his laboratories, and there his problems should be workt 
 out. Agriculture cannot be taught without the farm any 
 more than chemistry can be taught without the laboratory. 
 It is true that text-books should be used, but only to sup- 
 plement the work in the farm laboratory. 
 
15 
 
 The Handling of the Glasses : The Text-Book Problem 
 
 In a well outlined course in agriculture there will be 
 work in the indoor laboratory, in the classroom, and on the 
 farm. Each one of these phases of the work is very im- 
 portant and should be well pland. One phase is briefly 
 discust on pages 6 and 7. 
 
 The textbook problem for secondary school agriculture 
 has not been solvd satisfactorily. The time has come when 
 the text on general agriculture will not do ; there must be 
 specialized texts for each grand division of the subject. 
 There are few such texts of high-school grade on the mar- 
 ket. It is true that they are appearing rapidly, but most of 
 them seem to be pland for college rather than secondary 
 school work. 
 
 The teacher is advizd to collect government and state 
 publications bearing on agriculture, and to inspect copies 
 of the new agricultural texts which may appear from time 
 to time for material which will be suitable for work in his 
 classes. It is practically impossible to recommend books 
 for secondary-school agriculture, but the demand for them 
 is growing, and with this demand books that will be teach- 
 able in our secondary schools are almost sure to come. 
 
16 
 
 THE ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY 
 
 the oldest normal school in the Mississippi Valley affords 
 excellent advantages to young people who wish to prepare 
 for teaching. Its equipment is ample ; its annual income 
 excedes $120,000; its regular faculty numbers fifty. Its en- 
 rolment of students and pupils for the last year was 2703. 
 The following programs are provided: 
 
 1. A two-year program for graduates of accredited high schools 
 
 with four-year courses. 
 
 2. A three-year program for holders of first-grade teachers’ cer- 
 
 tificates, and for others who have completed three years of 
 high-school work. 
 
 3. A four-year program for holders of second-grade teachers’ 
 
 certificates, and for others who have had at least one year 
 of high-school work. 
 
 4. A five-year program for graduates of the eighth grade who 
 
 intend to become teachers. 
 
 (All of the foregoing programs lead to the regular nor- 
 mal diploma.) 
 
 5. A two-year special program for teachers of Manual Training. 
 
 6. A two-year special program for teachers of Agriculture. 
 
 7. A two-year special program for teachers of Art and Design. 
 
 8. A two-year special program for teachers of Domestic Science. 
 
 9. A two-year special program for teachers of Domestic Art. 
 
 10. A three-year program in Domestic Science and Domestic Art. 
 
 11. The six foregoing programs are based upon four years of high- 
 
 school work and lead to a special Teachers’ Diploma. Stu- 
 dents without full high-school preparation may make up 
 the missing work at Normal. 
 
 12. A four-year professional program for high-school graduates 
 
 leading to the degree of Bachelor of Education. 
 
 13. A one-year program for college graduates leading to the de- 
 
 gree of Bachelor of Education. 
 
 14. A two-year program for graduates of the eighth grade who are 
 
 preparing to teach country schools. 
 
 15. A one-year program for tenth-grade graduates and holders of 
 
 second-grade certificates who expect to teach in country 
 schools. 
 
 (Students completing programs 14 and 15 receiv a 
 special certificate.) 
 
 16. A four-year high-school program for students preparing to 
 
 enter college or university. 
 
 17. A four-year high-school program in Agriculture. 
 
 18. A four-year high-school program in Manual Training. 
 
 19. A four-year high-school program in Home Economics. 
 
 These four programs are for graduates of the eighth 
 grade and lead to the diploma of the University High School. 
 
 For catalog address 
 
 DAVID FELMLEY, President 
 
 Normal, Illinois. 
 
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