The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-04-06
READING COURSES.
Erief Outline of the New Education
for Farmers.

Another factor has entered our agri
cultural educational system. The
farmers reading course has taken its
place along with the farmers insti
tute, the agricultural college and the
experiment station as an important
agent in the diffusion of knowledge
and the development of enthusiasm
among farmers. 1t is being incorpora.
tea IN the university extension work
OF number of institutions In the
eastern States and as far west as
oouth Dakota. The value of the work
ana the success it has attained have
become so marked that brief out
line or Its more salient features has
oeen thought desirable.
Inc more successful of the farmers
reading courses thus far organized
nave been set on foot and fostered nv
the agricultural colleges and expert.
ment stations and the supervision and
direction of the work has been large
~ IN their hands. The work is gener.
ally conducted on the Chautauuua
plan. The college or station laws ont
certain courses of agricultural read
ing ON such subjects as soils and
crops live stock feeding and breed.
ing, "dairying," fruit culture" "par.
oenlng, farm economies" domestic
economy" and other like topics: Sc
lects sets of books for reading which
most clearly set forth the PRINCIPLES
underlying these subjects; provides
Tor experimenting the work: and
makes arrangements for supplying
prospective readers with books, exam.
lnatlon questions, etc. and to act as a
sort OF bureau of information. The
reading course is designed to bring to
Ihe farmer in his own home the op-
portunity of taking. under college di.
rectlon, course of systematic read.
ing on subjects especially pertaining
10 his work. Not every farmer has
Deen able to avail himself of the ad-
vantages of attending a school where
the principles of agriculture as known
and practiced in the present day by
the leading agriculturists of the world
are taught. His life is busy one. and
his home reading, though considerable
In amount, is generally of a miscella-
neOus and desultory character. The
idea of the reading course is to sys-
tematlZe into few definite lines this
general reading and to make the
knowledge thus acquired permanent
mental endowment fund to be used In
making farm life more attractive and
more profitable.
The method of work is simple. A
book on chosen topic is sent to a
reader and he is asked to read careful
ly certain subject. Printed questions
bearing on this subject are then sent
to him and full answers without re-
course to the book requested. The OBJ.
Ject of the questioning 10 to fix in the
mind of the reader the essentials of
the subject studied The putting into
writing of ones knowledge of a sub
Ject serves to fix still more definitely
In the mind the fundamental facts
studied, and to recall features which
otherwise might be overlooked. No
expense is attached except for books
and small enrolment fee, seldom ex-
ceeding for the whole course more
than 81 in amount. Sometimes diplo-
mas signed by the college authorities
ere given upon the completion of q
purse, A course usually covers about
two years reading. A small amount
Of reading performed regularly each
day and extended over a considerable
period of time has been found to give
better results than a large amount of
reading done in a shorter period. As
many courses can be taken as desired
Managers of the courses encourage
the formation of reading circles in
farming communities. since numbers
usually add enthusiasm, and the read.
ing and discussion of the topics in
common serve to bring out all the
points of the lesson and to maintain
interest in the subject.
The general features of these
courses are in the main as above DIES.
cribed. The details Of management
are varied. Instead of books being
sent out to study, frequently lesson
leaflets prepared by the central au.
thorities upon particular topics are
sent out. These have the advantage Of
dealing thoroughly with specific phas-
eS of the subjects studied. The tempta.
ton to do all the reading in a day Is
avoided and a constant interest main.
tanned by the frequent receipt of new
lessons. The knowledge, too, that each
reading lesson is being carefully re.
viewed has a tendency to make the
reading more thorough.
Anyone wishing to take up the work
of the reading course has but to ap.
ply for membership to the manager of
the reading course in his own State,
or in another State. Details regarding
the courses offered, books required,
1rtlnV nfn rr-sII 10 IL,
Upon subscribing to the rules of the
society, he is at once admitted as a
member and can begin reading with
out delay. No entrance examinations
are required. Courses are provided
for women and technical courses for
special students.
The farmers reading course In its
extended and systematic application ia
of comparatively recent origin. The
first widely successful course of the
kind in this country was established
in connection with the Pennsylvania
State College in July. 1892. Since that
time other courses, more or less sim.
liar in character, have been established
In Michigan, New Hampshire, Con-
necticut, New York, West Virginia,
and South Dakota, with a total en-
rollment of more than 1900 students.
RAD Pretty Good Hunch.
"How did you come to pluck up
enough courage to propose to Miss
Frisbie, Bunting?"
"Well, she suggested that had bet
ter not send her an expensive valen-
tine this year, but save my money to
go to housekeeping" confessed Bunt-
ing.-Detroit Free Press.