The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-24

nominated Mr.. r. w. Scott, of Ala
nance, and paid in glowing words
beautiful tribute to that gentleman,
who has always been hearty believer
| in agricultural education, is self-made,
and who has sbecome what he is by
| farming.
Mr.. Scott was unanimously elected,
and Prof. c. W. Burkett was chosen
secretary.
All business being over, the program
was resumed, and DIR. Winston made
the speech of the day, a transcendent
and heart-moving plea for better rural
schools and study of nature in those
schools. His subject was "The Rural
Schools" He said, in part:
The object of our rural school, or
rural education, is to train the moral,
the mental, and the physical constitu-
tions first, and also to give each indi,
vidual desire for purpose in life.
Education furnishes the student with
a preparation, altogether separate
from his natural gifts and qualities.
Education is to fill man with inspira-
tion, aspiration, and an irresistible de-
sire to accomplish great things in life.
The rural school has made a specific
6im to do none of these things. 1t
trains the child's mental faculties,
mainly, when it is intended to create in
his mind and heart desire and aspira-
tion, and above everything else what
ever, to teach him how to live well in
his rural home. The present purpose
of education in rural schools seems to
be to make the boy get off the farm,
and ten times to one he will desire not
to live on the farm. Every impulse
and aspiration in him is to get away
from the farm. | tell you, sirs, it
should be changed Now the prepara-
ton for what we want is what we need.
/ have heard men who represent agri-
cultural colleges even, say that the
purpose of the college was not to make
farmers, but to make men. Certainly!
Every education is to make men, but
more than that, and here in our rural
schools it should be intended to make
more than that. 1t is remarkable
fact that people are running away from
the farms, and it is too much the truth
in North Carolina. OF course every
better that he be that which he can be
best My plea is to permit those to
stay on the farm who would have de-
sired to stay on the farm had their
eyes been opened, that they might see
the profits, the science. the intelli-
gence, the culture, that comes from a
knowledge of nature. Stop tolling them
away from the farms. But how shall
we keep them there? First, by the
right kind of education in North Caro-
lima rural schools. There is not a
rural school in the State that relates to
the life and duties of farming.
Suppose these excellent speeches
that have been delivered here yester-
day and today were put into the hands
of our school boys to read. Suppose
they knew the history of such men as
Mr. Dautridge who are making from
Sc, 900 to $4,000 year? The mere
fact of the intelligence required in
farming appeals irresistibly to every
man
There is a State law that requires
these studies in rural schools, but
cannot take your time by discussing
them this morning Here is a book by
Prof. Burkett, farmer, Prof. Stevens,
a scientist, and Prof Hill, an English
scholar telling in a plain and simple
| language about the soil, insects, ami
mails and plants. improved by culture.
What we want to do is to make every
boy, and girl, too, learn these things,
that they cannot learn for themselves,
and that have taken thousands of years
for the most tremendous intellects of
all ages to discover. The learning of
the minds of the greatest intelligences
should be collated and discussed in
these schools. We want to give in
every school some insight into nature,
even if only one-fourth catch the in
spiration to lead them on to scientific
investigation and application. Then
will great work have been done.
Zone word about the mental culture
he is entitled to, both linguistic and
scientific culture, and intellectual
training.
| This field of agricultural training is
greater than all others combined. One
half century the world has looked
with open eyes at nature and discov-
cred the greatest fact that effected life
Continued on Fifth Page.)