The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-16
MISTAKE OF COUNTRY SCHOOLS
IN USING A CITY SYSTEM
Farmer Children Need Farmer Studies Country
Children IneptIy Trained and Made Un-
wisely Discontented
(By Clarence H. Poe.)

edge and his interest, but with familiar
and practical subjects.
While have given so much attention to
arithmetic, the reader will bear in mind
that | have used it, not for its own sake,
but only as an illustration of the general
misfit in rural school studies. Reading
books, spelling books, Biographies, histo-
ncs-all, as Doctor Brooks says, are
dominated by clerk and trading point of
view"
But the work of improvement should not
stop here. A right point of view should
be required in the branches already taught,
but should go no further Textbook
combining the elements of agriculture
and the proper forms of nature-study
should be adopted for use in all rural
schools. In these books the practical and
the esthetic should go hand in hand The
pleasures of country living should be set
forth, and a constant effort made to IN
terest the child in the common things
about him-the mysteries of plant and
animal life, the beauties of nature, the
everyday wonders of the fields and woods.
With equal earnestness the profit Of intel
lgent farmning should be emphasized;
the elements of agricultural science should
be given.
Recent educational progress makes it I'M
necessary to defend this idea. No one
now regards it as a visionary suggestion;
10 view of the vast interests affected 1T
Is not an unreasonable one; in view OF the
great good that would result it Is not an
unimportant one Millions, for example,
are lost every year by unscienutic stock
feeding; that could be saved to the farm
er if he would practise the simple rules
for compromising feeding-rations. Millions
more are lost annually by irrational fer
tiliZing because the farmer IS not taught
the properties Of the common Iertihzing
clements and the needs of different crops.
Millions, too, might be added 20 each
years farming profits by proper crop ro-
tations and proper combinations of farm
ing speclalties-the knowledge of a few
fundamental principles are sufficient to
enable the farmer to plan them. To learn
of these subjects would require no. special
ability. Children of ordinary capacity in
ordinary public schools could practically
master them.
Far-reaching effects would follow in due
season. Practical education is the phil
osopher's stone that has revolUtionized
every commercial and professional call
ing of civilized man; and, with properly
modernized school curriculum, its golden
touch would reach agriculture also, trans
forming and uplifting this most ancient
Of occupations. Every class would share in
the benefits, and the nation itself would
be UNNECESSARILY strengthened; for with
the rural half of our population intelli-
gent and independent, we shall always
have a protecting balance of power in our
political life. Anarchy and socialism
among the city poor, greed and snobbery
among the very rich, will each find an
antdote in the content and conservatism
of a great farming class. Moreover, our
commercial supremacy is largely dependent
on the well-being of the rural districts
men as well as crops being considered in
this statement.
To stop orr teachers and textbooks
from fostering the idea that education is
needed in the city but not in the country,
needed In managing a store but not IN
managing farm; to stay the over-crowd-
ing of the professions and city trades
and to develop the latent possibilities IN
scientific agriculture; and last, but not
least-to instil love of nSAure and JOY
in country living; this task is not hope
less that we should shrink from it, nor
small that we should neglectsit but it is
in truth, worthy and reasonable one for
America to try its strength on.