The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-02-27
Mississippi State News

teachers for this work in the agricul.
tural colleges" DR.. True says fur.
Their: THE discoveries of the agricul-
tural experiment stations, and the
broader technical training Of the lead
ers Of agriculture progress in the col.
leges, are producing profound effect
on our agricultural practice, and when
every other industry is allying itself
closely with the schools and seeking
changes in the school courses which
will be to its benefit, ii will not do for
agriculture to hold aloof from the edu.
cational movements of our times and
attempt to run a twentieth century az
ricultural system on the basis Of an
eighteenth or even a nineteenth cen,
fury school system. The fact remains
that if we are to improve our agricul-
ture and compete on the best terms
with our rivals in the worlds markets,
II we are to make the conditions of
country life attractive enough to keep
the bright boys and girls on the farms,
If we are to equaliZe the advantages of
country and town. so as to maintain
an intelligent, prosperous, progressive
and contented yeomEnry, we must give
immediate and effective attention to
the needs of the rural schools. The
farmers have this matter in their
hands; they can have a better state Of
things if they will, and now that the
educational leaders are moving active
ly for the improvement of the rural
schools, nothing but the Indifference
or the opposition of the people most
concerned can defeat their laudable
efforts"
While the agricultural college, the
experiment station, the farmers insti-
tutes are powerful factors in the up
lifting of the agricultural masses, yet,
If we are to reach the people, and the
whole people, with this gospel of a
better agriculture, we must use the
public schools. We cannot use the
public schools efficiently without prop
erly trained teachers In sympathy
with agricultural and Industrial edu-
cation. These teachers cannot be sup
piled without being brought In touch
with the great institution, such as the
State has in the Agricultural and Me.
chanical College. In accordance with
the resolution of the State Teachers
Association, passed last May at Vicks-
burg; in accordance with the sugges-
ton of our efficient State superintend-
ent of education; and believing this
step to be the most far-reaching In tho
development Of the States educational
system, | recommend the establish
ment in this institution of a Depart
ment Of Industrial Education, where
teachers may be trained in the ele-
ments of agriculture and manual
training, and ~inocu,ated with the spir-
1t Of industrial education. With this
department and the teachers thus
trained, the State superintendent will
have an efficient force with which to
put into operation his idea Of consoli-
dated country schools with the ele-
ments of agriculture and of the agri-
cultural rural high schools with agri.
culture and manual training. This
will give us an articulated system on
sisting Of the consolidated country
schools, the rural agricultural high
schools and the agricultural college,
just as we now have an a%rticulated
with the city primary schools,
the city high schools and the State
University. With these two articu.
systems in active operation, with
the extended term by local taxation
that Is now being pushed by Superin-
tendent Whitfield. the Mississippi pub
lie schools will soon equal any in the
country.