The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23
AN AGRICULTURAL MOVE
HOW INTEREST IN FARMING HAS
BEEN REVIVED ~ NEW YORK.
Systematic Effort to Encourage "a LiIx-
ing for the Calling Has Met with
Good Results Already.
New York Evening Post.


New York Evening Post.
The committee for the promotion of agri-
culture in New York State began its work
a year ago in the interest of agricultural
extension, along the same lines as univer-
sity extension. The aim OF the committee
is to awaken interest in the intellectual
side of farm life. and to establish DEPART
ment of natural studies in the preparatory
and normal schools. and has met with sig
nal announcement from teachers, farmers
and pupils. The work is intended to revivs
interest in agriculture in order to relieve
city congestion, and the intent is to begin
at the foundation and teach the children in
the public schools throughout the State
some of the natural sciences with their APP
plication to rural life A series of agricul-
turaI schools was held in Westchester
county; a course of lectures in natures
studies was given in the district schools,
and appointments were made in some west
ern counties to have the farmers meet on
a certain day in their county town and
hear addresses on topics of most interest
to them, and the interest and attendance
at all of these functions were most encour-
aging. After consultation with the state
superintendent of public instruction and
the professors who were specialists in the
sciences allied to agriculture and after
practical work in the schools themselves,
to find out their needs and conditions, the
following plan has been evolved as a prac-
teal beginning to a great work:
That four teachers shall be fitted at CorS
nell University as soon as possible, two tot
be sent to the normal schools and two to
those training schools in the State that
wish to undertake the work. These four
teachers are to prepare lectures and prac-
fiC1l aXPrpiGRG n he naph school
and the lectures are to deal with the ele-
ments of the sciences in a simple and in
teresting manner, and the exercises to be so
Simple that any teacher can introduce
them into any school at small expense
Many encouraging things have spurred on
this new undertaking. Teachers of litera-
ture in the public schools assure the COM
mite that the nature studies will be almost
invaluable in their own immediate departs
ment
FARM SCHOOLS WANTED.
At the conference held in December last
to consider the subject, the statement was
made that, if schools could be established
upon farms, where the art of farming could
be inteligently practiced, and the true
beauty and interest of agricultural life
could be shown, there would be those from
the city who would attend these schools and
eventually invest their savings in land. The
committee shortly afterwards received APP
plications from several young men asking
for information about such schools. There
was none yet in existence, but limited
number of these applicants were received
at the directors farm to obtain such in
struction as they desired, and the expert
ment was begun. These pupils showed
great interest in every detail of practical
farming, and no work in horticulture, espe-
ciaIly in the pruning of trees and handling
of labor, was ever more skillfully done than
by these young men from the city. One of
them has since bought "a farm OF two hum
bred acres, has already planted an orchard
of over two thousand fruit trees, is adding
improved stock, and scientific agriculture
will be carried out, bearing it's object les
son to the community.
Another of the pupils on the directors ex-
pertinent farm is now taking course in
agriculture at Cornell University, with the
intent to buy q farm and put his entire
energies into its management. Among the
applicants in the summer class was the rep
resentative of an extensive manufacturing
firm, who wanted instruction looking to the
assistance of the factory operatives In re-
spouse to suggestion in the conference
report. this manufacturer planned to move
his works from the city to some suburban
location, where cottages could be built with
a small lot attached, upon which plot of
ground a system of culture could be prac-
ticed, so that times when the mills could
not be run, a partial living could be had
from labor in this direction. Plans were
studied for instruction to be given opera
tives for successful culture of small plots
of land, and for the location of works. cot
tages and lots. The manufactures thought
that means such as this would establish
harmonious relations between Cdp1Ial anu
labor and if adopted by other firms would
serve to prevent strikes and dissatisfaction.
CHILDREN INTERESTED.
The committee has other evidence that 1t
is working on the right lines. To encour-
age the study of plants, the offer was made
that to every pupil of the schools visited
who should make application, half-dozen
strawberry plants would be sent by mail,
the pupils to plant them, study about them,
and write essays upon what they had learn
ed about them during the school year.
Many New York and Brooklyn children,
seeing this offer to the Westminster chill
dren, thought they were included, and
wrote for plants stating that they in
tended to plant them in the window boxes,
as they had no land. Nearly 1000 plants
were sent to the city children, short and
plain directions accompanying each lot.
The children of the State public schools,
seeing the notice printed by agricultural
papers, also sent in applications, and sew
Cral thousand plants were sent to them,
reaching into nearly every county in New
York Many teachers asked for plants, TO
be used in their botany classes. In less
than three months from the time the plants
were sent to a boy in New York city he
wrote that his plants had increased hnely
from new runners, and that ne was going
to rent piece of ground out in the coun-
try to raise strawberries. and wanted to
know where to buy his plants.
Farmers in a section of country much dis
cOufdRGQ
ter and cheese, their chief interest. attended
regularly the lectures on practical dairying
delivered in their vicinity. At these lee
lures the needs of the times were discussed.
1t was shown that more knowledge of the
soil. which was greatly changed after a
century of production, more knowledge of
farm animals, as to their power and cost Of
production in this age of competition, was
necessary; also more information regarding
trees plants and vines and the diseases
and insects that attack and lessen their
value. The fertilizers that should be applied
In accordance with the needs OF certain
kinds Of soil was also discussed These lee
lures were very popular AS the result Of
instruction given under these conditions. a
farmer bought an outfit and materials for
spraying orchards, sprayed his neighbors
orchards and his own, destroyed the canker
worm that was running riot, and saved q
crop of fruit that otherwise would have
been almost a total loss. Applications for
these lecture schools to be repeated prove to
the committee that they We're of benefit
BY this means it will be possible for large
number OF young people who have not the
means with which to go to Cornell Univer-
sity and for many others who are TOO old
to go, but not too old TO learn, to have able
instructors from an agricultural college
come to them
English Slang.