men. The majority, 380 out of 485 for whom records are available, began college teaching before 30 years of age.

Teaching agriculture in colleges and universities is a profession not easily adopted in advanced years after other professions have been tried. It is a calling requiring certain aptitudes and outlook, and specific training and experience. This has a tendency to limit the group to those who definitely choose this as their work because of the interest they have in it and the qualifications they possess. The large majority of the 420 professors for whom records on the period of instructorship were obtained began college teaching and became instructors at the age of 20 to 30, assistant professors at 25 to 35, associate professors at 25 to 40, and professors at 25 to 45, the large majority being 35 to 50 years of age, with a median of 42. The median years' service spent in each rank is 2 as instructor, 3 as assistant professor, 2 as associate professor, and 9 as professor. For example, the typical professor who started college teaching as an instructor at 26 became an assistant professor at 28, an associate professor at 31, and a professor at 33.

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Became associate

Became assistant professor

Became associate professor

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

60 61

68 168 126 78 19 11! 9

The tabulation of the median service of associate professors who have become professors indicates that progress from one rank to the next higher is somewhat slower than was formerly the case. The median has been lengthened from two years for those who are now professors to a median service of four years for those who are serving as associate professors. It appears also that the rank of assistant professor is obtained somewhat later in life to-day than was the case of those who are now professors, associate or assistant professors. This is in part due to the fact that institutions are now demanding more advanced work before regular appointment is given on college staffs. Moreover, the upper ranks are filled in the majority of cases by men who, as shown above, are still comparatively young and vigorous. Promotion in rank, therefore, necessarily is slower than during the period when the agricultural divisions were expanding rapidly.

Promotions.-The appraisal of the staff members for promotion in rank and salary is a knotty problem everywhere. There is no standard measure or method of procedure. Nevertheless, in 37 of 42 institutions reporting on this point it is indicated that careful appraisal is made for the purpose of promotion. The other five report that appraisal is not carefully done.

Some of the methods of procedure in arriving at judgment are: (1) Appraisal by the department head or other supervising officer on the basis of knowledge of the work done by the staff member, 18 cases; (2) student opinion as determined by means of questionnaires, 5 cases; and alumni opinion, 2 cases; (3) conferences of administrative officers, 3 cases. (While this is reported in three instances only, undoubtedly it is practiced more widely.)

That there is room for developing some more effective methods of appraisal in the several institutions is quite clear from the lack of uniformity in methods now followed. If one method may be said to be used more than others, it is a general appraisal on the part of administrative officers on the basis of personal contact and

observation.

The factors most frequently operating to bring about promotions are better defined than the methods of arriving at these factors. They are numerous and varied. The following is a statement of the factors named by the various institutions and the number of times each is mentioned: (1) Teaching ability and efficiency, 32; (2) research ability, 13; (3) length of service, 11; (4) scholarly attitude and keeping up in subject matter, 10; (5) opportunities to go elsewhere, 7; (6) advanced study for degrees, 5; (7) ability to cooperate. 5; (8) personality, 5; (9) openings in institution giving opportunity for promotion, 5; (10) ability to make contacts, 4; (11) production

of creative material, 3; (12) service and usefulness to institution, general influence, loyalty, willingness to assume responsibility, 2 each; (13) initiative and industry, previous salary increases, production, interest, general reputation as a teacher and administrative ability, 1 each.

The factors mentioned at the head of the list, namely, teaching ability and efficiency, research ability, length of service, and scholarship, are undoubtedly taken into consideration almost universally when promotion is considered. Initiative and industry, and ability to cooperate within and without the institution and to make contacts are highly prized almost everywhere and doubtless receive more consideration than the reports would indicate.

Salaries of the agricultural staff.-While the salary range of the agricultural staff, especially in the better supported and larger institutions, is more nearly adequate to-day than at any other time, only 18 professors out of 562 receive a salary of $6,000 per year or more and only 68 from $5,000 to $6,000 per year. In other words, only 15 per cent of the total number of professors receive as much as $5,000 per year. Approximately 43 per cent receive between $4,000 and $5,000 and 41 per cent less than $4,000. See Table 4.

TABLE 4.-Salary range for staff of undergraduate instruction, with number of institutions reporting for each rank and salary grade (full-time staff members only)