Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-04-11
A NOVEL DEPARTURE
Agricultural Course For Ru-
raj District Schools.
AS NOW TAUGHT IN GERMANY

| va ~AS "a 4NO 0OAVOASs
AS NOW TAUGHT IN GERMANY
There the Common Schools Have a
Garden Attached and Pupils are
Given Practical instruction In Ag.
ricuIture.
Most OF the common schools in the
smaller German villages have attached
to them small garden. Though these
gardens are generally for the use of
the teacher and his family, occasion
ally some wideawake teacher uses his
as means of instruction. Here he
takes his pupils to show them how
| plants grow from the seed to full ma
| turity. The nature charts used in the
! schools to teach plant and insect life
| are supplemented by observation of
real plants, flowers, fruit trees, insects,
| birds and bees
Mr.. c. B. Smith, of the Office of ex-
pertinent stations, United States de-
partment of agriculture. has given us
| the benefit of his observations at Alf-
ter, village of 1000 inhabitants, in
the German Rhine province, between
Bonn and Cologne. Mr.. Smith, who
visited this village in 1899, gives the
| following account of it: THE whole
region lying about the village is inten-
sively farmed and forms practically
one vast garden. Vegetables alternate
| wit horchards, with occasional strips
| of grain or forage plants. The school
| is what is known as a peoples school,
| This is the common school OF Ger
many. Only the fundamental branches
are taught in these schools, and the
whole course is completed in eight
years. Abe After common school con-
tains 400 pupils and six teachers. In
| this school, as in all others in this
| province, two hours instruction week
| ly in fruit culture, gardening and gen
eral farming during the last two years
| of the course is required. This has
| been compulsory by law since 1895.
| Outline suggestions for this work are
sent the principal of the school by
the provincial government. as follows:
First Year
April and May a. Inner structure
| OF plants, plant cells and tissues and
their functions. CD Other divisions OF
/ plants; (a) the roots, their function in
| the nourishment of plants by the alb
| sorption of mineral matter, as phOs-
| phorous, potassium, sodium, iron, chic
| rim and water; (b) the trunk, it's
| branches and buds, the structure of
the cambium and the occurrence OF
ring growth
The course goes on through every
month of the year, describing plant
life in all it's stages, the Improvement
| of the soil, the using up of plant food
and its replacement by fertilizers of
various kinds. the influence of the eli.
mate on plants, fruit culture and the
| management of fruit trees, the enc.
mics of fruits and vegetables and how
| to get rid of them.
In February and March of the next
! years course the various minerals are
| discussed. In April. May and June
| garden work is discussed from the lay
| ing out of plats to the utilization OF
vegetables.
In the latter part of June of the
second years course the pupils study
field work. blowing. narrowing and
rolling
in July they study the various field
| crops. including cloyers and grasses;
in August crop rotation and methods
of manuring.
In September and October they dis
| cuss the various enemies of the differ
ent crops. In December the subject
of study is domestic animals, and in
! January, February and March the
| physiology of man.
| The plan thus laid down is meant
to be suggestive, the teacher being al.
| lowed to exercise his individual judg.
| ment as to time and method of pre-.
senting the different subjects and to
| make his instruction conform to the
| agricultural needs of the district in
! which his school is located.
Thus at this German village nearly
every owner or renter of even a small
| piece of ground is an experienced gar.
1 dner, understanding thoroughly the
value of cultivation and the money
worth of every pound of compost The
farmers wife and children assist him
in his labOrs and the children al an
early age have very clear under.
/ standing of garden operations.
! The school garden is intensively
| farmed and made a source of revenue.
The bees are also made a subject
of special study.
1t IS net to be inferred that every
| German neighborhood is fortunate
enough to have such a school. and the
| teachers who make use of the school
garden for instruction are the excep-
| ton. But the success of the few
| schools of this sort prove their worth.
The interesting article of Mr. c. B.
| Smith was recommended for publica.
| ton by Mr. a G. True, director of eX-
| pertinent Ttations. and it's publication
was authorized by Hon. James Wilson,
| United States secretary of agriculture
/ In view Of the fact that the desira-
! bility of an agricultural course for the
schools in rural districts is being so
| generally discussed we thought that
| some useful hints might be derived
| from the account of this practical Ger
man school.
A Nearly Fatal Runaway