The Portland daily press., 1892-04-21
FARNERS ON Thu SCHOOLS
Interesting Discussion at the County
Grange Meeting.
PRINCIPAL CoRTHELL ON THE
STUDY OF AGRICULTURE.


Taught by Object sesslons-Hon. War
rem E. Vinton Thinks the School of
forty Years Ago Better Than Those Of
the Fresent-Memorial Adopted in
Memory of the Late isaiah Elder.
An interesting meeting of the Cumber-
land County Pomona Grange was held
yesterday with Presumpscot Grange in
their grange hall on the Windham road
in Deering. The beautiful weather and
the interesting nature Of the topics
which were programmed for discussion
by able speakers operated together to
bring out large attendance.
Therefwero about two hundred mem
bers, Including ladies, present, and the
meeting was Almost satisfactory one in
every respect. The following oranges
were represented: New Gloucester,
Raymond, Gray. Gorham, Westbrook,
| Wescrstiso Of North Yarmouth, Oak
Hin Of scarboro, Cape Elizabeth, Pre-
sImpscot and Windhan.
The meeting was opened for a short
session in the forenoon, f. D. Scammon,
master, presiding Reports were re-
ceived from the various subordinate
oranges in the county. An address Of
greeting was made by Warren H. Vinton
of Gray and brief remarks of response
and fellowship were made by Samuel
Bell and L. B. bennett, Esq.
At IL o'clock, picnic dinner was
served in the grange hall, after which
camc the ladies' hour; following which
the afternoon session was held as an
open meeting. This was held in the
Friends meeting house across the road
from the grange hall, and was called 10
order about o'clock.
The first topic for discussion,
The Study of Agriculture,
in the public schools was opened by
Professor Corthell, principal of the
State Normal School at Gorham. He
said that the schools of Maine are far
behind those of Massachusetts, in meth
cd of teaching, and the schools in the
rural districts of Maine are far behind
Massachusetts, method is what they call
there teaching NATURE" but better
name for it the speaker thought would
be to call it teaching the elements, of
natural science. They are teaching this
in the city schools not with the object
Of making farmers, but because they
regard it as essential to a real education
that the pupils should be trained to
know, and appreciate the facts of life
Agriculture as an art must be learned
By practice. There is knowledge of
the nature of things the farmer deals
with, soils, plants. fertilizers, animals,
insects, heat and cold and drainage. Ell
ementary science is taught successfully
by people who teach experimentally. In
the kindergarten, children learn facts
about plant life through planting seeds
and watching the daily growth. Chem
istry, zoology and mineralogy are taught
perime1tally today, where in former
years it was attempted to teach them
from the text books only. 1t
Once Was the Idea
that children must be taught to read in
words of two or three letters; the alb,
abs, and at. ats, etc., but that idea is
all exploded.
Said the speaker: I can teach child
the word ,wheelbarrow, if he knows a
wheelbarrow when he sees one, quicker
than / can teach him the word ''at' 1
wiilstake my reputation as teacher up
onsthe statement that no man or woman
can teach the facts of agriculture except
expcrimentally or effectively. If you
add text book you merely add another
to tie collection and make the knowl-
edge of the pupil thinner than before
There is a pressure being brought to
bear upon the teachers to get them to
teach agriculture, but in the rural dis
triets the teachers are not at present
adaped to teach objectively. The pub
lie. however, will only have to make the
demand when we shall see the bright
girl teachers prepare themselves for the
work. People who are alive so years
from now will see the schools of Maine
based upon an entirely different system
Hon. Warren III. yinton
was the next speaker and continued the
discussion. He said it was melancholy
to look over the schools and compare
them with the schools of 40 years ago.
Where the schools used to be overflow
ing, now the scholars have disappeared.
iHOuSH we nave ten Times us 1lucn mon
ey.to put into them as we had then, the
schools do not begin to compare with
those of 40 years ago. Then the teachers
We're for the most part young men am
bitions TO succeed; now the selection OF
teacher is squabble of election in the
school district, and fitness is hardly con-
sidered. We are taxed to death for
schools, and we are willing to be. We
want all the children to be educated and
will cheerfully expend any sum for that
object, but under the present inefficient
system d large part of the school money
which we give in taxes might just as
well be thr own into tho stove.
In answer to a question, Mr. Vinton
said there was o disposition shown in
certain quarters to do away with the
district system altogether and substitute
in place of it a school board The dam
ger of this is the usual one of consolida-
ton. As between the town system and
the district system, Mr.. Vinton thought
the town system the best for towns
where the population was closely set
tied, and other towns would do better
-, A