Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 294, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1913 — Teaching Agriculture and Domestic Economy [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Teaching Agriculture and Domestic Economy

County Schools of Agriculture a Very Important Factor in the Education and Development of the Young People

By A. A. JOHNSON

ROBABLY no movement in education has received as much attention in the past few years as has that which pertains to the practical

phases of farming and home making. The importance of this movement can easily be seen when consideration is given to the decreasing fertility of Agricultural lands in the United States during the last twenty years, and the relative decrease in farming population. From recent investigations it was found tha£ probably 60,000,000 people live in cities and 31,000,000 ,reijmain on the farm, when only a few years ago the bulk of the population resided in the farming districts. Formerly when free land was Abundant and the soil fertile, little difficulty was experienced in the growing of crops. At that time, also, practically all the food and much of the clothing used by the farmer and his family were produced in the home, the homes themselves being built from trees in the neighboring Now these conditions have changed materially. Most of the industries have been taken away from the farms and are now found in factories throughout the United States. And while these changes show advancement, and this advancement is to be welcomed, at the same time it has taken away from

the home a kind of training which is essential to the full development of the individual for successful h<?me building. The realization of the educational loss occasioned by the transfer of these domestic industries to factories in cities and the growing need of something to take their place in the educational system, has brought about the establishment of practical schools of agriculture and domestic economy. in many of the states throughout the Union thoughtful educators have come to realize the importance of developing the rural phases of industrial education. With this object in view’, many states have established and others are considering the establishment of secondary schools of agriculture and domestic economy. Of the more firmly established schools of this nature may be mentioned the congressional district agricultural schools of Georgia and Alabama, the judicial district agricultural schools of Oklahoma, the four district agricultural schools of Arkansas, the agricultural high schools Of California, Minnesota and New York, and the country agricultural schools of -Wisconsin and Michigan. All of thtese schools have one common object, that of dignifying farm labor and teaching boys and girls the industries which are now so rap-

idly vanishing in the rural homes of America. Wisconsin was the first state in the Union to organize a county school of agriculture and domestic economy. The early history of secondary agricultural education in Wisconsin dates back to 1899, when the sate legislature appointed a commission to “investigate and report upon the methods

of procedure in this and other states and counties, in manual training and in the theories and art of agriculture in the public schools. s After a thorough investigation, a report was

submitted to the governor of Wisconsin, January, 1901. The report covered the work done in secondary agricultural education in the various states of the Union, also different countries in Europe. At the conclusion of this report, Dr. Harvey, the commissioner, recommended that, through legislative enactment, authority be given the county boards of supervisors to establish and maintain schools, to be known as county schools, for instruction in agriculture and dbmestic economy, and that state aid be given to these schools when organized and established on a basis to be approved by state authority.

He also recommended a course of study that he considered most suitable for these schools. The legislature of 1901 passed a law embodying the re;, commendations of Dr. Harvey, and permitted the establishment of two schools. This law has since been amended to permit the establishment of ten schools. These schools are free

to inhabitants of the county, who are qualified to pursue the course of study, provided they shall have at least the qualifications required for completion of the course of study for common schools.

Secondary agricultural education ia largely adapted to the conditions found in the counties where such schools are located. Special efforts are made to furnish additional opportunities for schooling to the 94 out of every 100 rural and urban school schildren who would otherwise finish their education with the common schools. These county schools are, strictly speaking, agricultural trade schools and have for their sole object the educating of the farmers’ boys and girls who do not wish to take up an extensive college course, but who are anxious to get that form of training which will be most useful to them when they take charge of the home farm or the farm home. The school is made the educational center of the community, and the farmers are free to call upon it for assistance in any line of work pertaining to farming and home making.

Students Removing Stumps With Dynamite.

Students Constructing a Concrete Silo.

Machine Sewing Class in a County School.