The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-28
$. J. RACE IS PRESIDENT OF MIy-
NEsOTA EDUCATIONAL
ASSOCIATION
DISCUSSED RURAL SCHOOLS
Freeman, of Blue Earth, Stirs I'D
Hornets Nest In the County
Superintendents' Section
by His Paper.
COMMERCIAL SCHOOLS JOIN

| The following officers were elected at
| the close of the second general session
yesterday afternoon:
President-Supt. 8. j. Race. Redwood
county.
Secretary-Mrs. H. B. Stamford, Moor
| head.
Corresponding Secretary-J. c. Bryant,
St. Paul.
The general assembly Of the associat
ton held in the Central Presbyterian
church yesterday afternoon, was devoted
exclusively to the consideration of tha
rural school. The session was begun by
the children of the eight grade of the Van
Buren, school, who sang several songs Ces
der the direction of Miss j. Mcmillan.
Supt o. T. Bright, of Cook county, I'LL
nois, then read paper entitled Rural
Schools, which was received with con.
siderable attention by the audience.
Mr.. Bright said that in view of Tho
great number of rural schools. and thd
large percentage of teachers employed
in them, it was a shame they should
be paid so small salary. 1t made it inns
possible to secure flrst-class teachers foI
this particular branch of work. IIe
claimed that the farms were sending tho
asylum, and that this was due to the
fact that the farmer and his wife had
little to think about outside the monotony
of the farm.
Arithmetic Too Dry.
He found great fault with the system
in vogue in the rural school where the
farmer boy and girls were crammed with
arithmetic of the driest and most useless
character
Geography, as taught in the rural
schools, came in for it's share of col-
demnation, and in place of all the time
being given to these he advocated the
teaching of what to read and the beauties
that surround the farm on all Sides
At the conclusion of the paper j. W.
Olsen, state superintendent of public in
struction, followed Mr. Bright and con-
Cured with him in every particular.
Supt. S. ]. Race, Of Redwood, did like
wise.
| A half hour was then devoted to fiys-
minute speeches by teachers in the audi
ence. who availed themselves of the op-
portunity to make known their opinion
on matters pertaining to this branch of
education
The Schoolmasters' club, under the d.
rection Of Prof G. H. Congdon, sang sew
eral much appreciated songs, and Miss
Laura Harvey, superintendent of music
at Alexandria, accompanied by Miss Mary
b.. FELTON,, Of Saltwater, also helped to
furnish the music for the afternoon.
The address of the afternoon was de-
hVered by Dean Liggett of the state ag-
r1cultural college, who Is also president
OF the National Association of Agricul-
tural Colleges, His topic was "Agricul-
tural Schools and Agriculture in Rural
Schools" and was in part as follows:
Dean LigSetts Paper.
1t is with especial pleasure that 1 aA-
oreSS you on the subject assigned to me
10 ior II seems to me that your invitation
is important evidence of the constantly
increasing interest in agricultural educa-
tlon FIFTEEN years ago agricultural edu
cation in any practical form was scarce
IN an experimental stage, but was gain
Ing In popularity. Five years ago its
success was assured and it was being
accepted with ayidity by the farming
communities. Today the facilities of the
school of agriculture of Minnesota are
quite inadequate to the demands for in
structlon made upon them. And now
comes a call for agricultural Instruction
in the rural schools and MANIFESTATION
OF practical interest upon the part of
the official association of the teachers of
this cause, l think l may be pardoned
Ior again expressing my qualification
with these conditions
We can congratulate ourselves here in
Minnesota that while we have not per-
EdpS passed 6HllTely= through the EXPERT
mental stage, we have at least organized
our work on positive, definite and
practical plan, which has been in opera
ton long enough to show eminently sat-
1Sfactory results.
Phe first among the divisions of the
work of the department of agriculture of
the university is the college of agricul-
ture. AS educators you have but to
look over the course of study and in
Struction in this college to be assured
of its comprehensiveness and it's good
title to an honorable place among the
colleges of the university. The primary
aim Of the college of agriculture is that
of educating agricultural scientists who
shall be equipped to fill responsible posi-
tions in agricultural colleges, schools
and experiment stations A four years
course is offered. This is ordinarily pre-
ceded by a three years course in the
school of agriculture and intermediate
course of one year, especially provided
for students who wish to enter the
college By this arrangement students
may avil themselves of a full eight
years course of preparatory and college
botany. chemistry, geology. physics and
zoology are given prominence and the
Importance of plant and animal produc-
ton and the upbuilding of rural homes
On Level With Other Courses.
I speak thus particularly and emphatic
ally of the college course because there
has been tendency in some directions
to look down upon this college as in
some way beneath the level of other
courses of education. That this idea is
passing away, especially in our own
state, is most gratifying. Its complete
obliteration will follow complete knowl-
edge Of the college and the attainments
of its graduates. But the college educa-
tion in agriculture, as is the case with
all branches of college education, must
continue to be for the few. You know
well how small proportion of your
pupils pass beyond the high schools.
And so the need of agricultural educa-
ton for the youth who cannot complete
full college course has been felt in
our work and as result the school of
agriculture has been developed as the
largest division of the department Of
agriculture of the university The place
of this school in the educational sys-
tenn is that of the high school. TAX
ing boys and girls of the high school age
its purpose is to fit them for farm life
and to become intelligent citizens IN
a-country of high civilization. The three
years course of the school is designed
TO equip the boy or girl who expects
to live upon a farm with essential and
practical knowledge. Evidence Of the
completion of full common school
course is required of applicants for ad-
mission: building on this the school of
c1rnp1pruputarU work