The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-17
TEACHERS BEHIND HOES
Children to Be Taught How to Plant,
Tend and Market the 3
Crops.

VNAS ANS AN ANS~ ~ AA
structing the pupils of the schools
of Washington along the lines laid
down by a very great naturalist to a
thorough understanding of plant life
and the uses to be derived therefrom.
The secretary eve since he came to
Washington has been trying to elevate
and develop the department over
which he presides. There has never
been a time when he failed to get the
best results from his department, and
ity have shown themselves through
out the department in the new pro-
positions he has originated. AS a
result of his new thought he has now
a class of forty girl pupils from the
Washington normal school receiving
instructions under several of the ex-
perts of the department as to the
planting and reaping of seeds. The
secretary believes that every school
teacher should have some elementary
knowledge of agriculture and horti-
culture and hopes that when the class
that he has selected graduates it will
be thoroughly we'll acquainted with
all the essential elements of practical
agriculture and horticulture, and be
able to diffuse knowledge to the pu-
pills under them.
"What we most need just now is
teachers who are competent to teach
the great lassons of plant life to the
classes in the elementary grades"
said Secretary Wilson. "To inculcate
in the minds of our boys a love and
knowledge of growing things will
tend to lead more young men to com
plete the elementary studies thus be-
gun in the great agricultural colleges
which now nearly every state in the
union maintains. The tendency has
been too alarmingly marked of IL
young men and women in the rural
districts to forsake their homes and
seek pursuits in IL cities. The back
bone of our prosperity is in reality
in agriculture. Upon the farmer we
depend for our food products and
should ont drift into a punely CONNER
cial nation dependent upon others for
England, for instance. | am thorough
ly convinced that the only plan lies
through teaching the young in our
elementary schools in a practical man
ner the use of the hoe, to use an eX-
preston which covers the point |
am endeavoring to make. Take my
own state, Iowa; how could it, one
of the great agricultural states
Of the union, better eXpead money
than in diffusing pratical knowledge
in the mInds Of thu ;,cys and girls
on agricultural matters At the great
normal school at Cedar Falls, for ex
ample, the teachers there could be
taught upon agricultural subjects and
they in turn when they go forth to
teach could iffuse their knowledge
among the very young pupils. l
know OF no money that Iowa or any
other state for that matter could pos
sibly expend which would produce
such returns as to train all teachers
in a practical way the elements OF
agriculture and horticulture. They
would thus be equipped in an import
and branch of knowledge. The agri'
cultural colleges of the country could
supply competent instructors to the
normal schools and it would also be
we'll to have such instructors in the
| secondary schools. The university
| of Missouri now holds summer schools
for the instruction of teachers in pri'
mary and secondary schools in agri'
| cultural matters. Alabama appropri'
| ates money each year for instruction
of those in the elementary grades
in every congressional district in the
state, thus making feeders for their
| agricultural colleges"
In addition to the classes from the
normal school of this city, who are
being taught under the direction Of
the department of agriculture. Secre
tary Wilson will a class OF q
boys to be chosen from the public
| schools to be taught practically truck
gardening during the coming summer
| The class will be in charge OF one o.
the practical gardeners OF the depart
| ment and each boy will be given a plo'
| of ground to SOW and cultivate. These
miniature farms will be located al
! the experiment station in this city
..a tho hove for their labor will be