The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-22
GEORGIA TEACHERS
AT WARM SPRINGS
TWO QUESTIONS DISCUSSED.
PROF. PARKS SPOKE ON AGRICUI.-
TURE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Miss Parrish Urged the Adoption of
Daily Work Instead of Being
Tackled ON to the Curriculum as n
Side Issue-PrOf. Parks Favored
the Compulsory study of Agricul-
ture and Showed the Need of II.
Warm Springs, Ca, June 21.--About
fifty members of the Georgia Educa
tional Association arrived here last
night and more arrived to-day. To-
night there are over one hundred here.
Among them are President N. E. Ware,
Hawkinsville; Profs. Jere Pound, Ma
con, ]. S. Stewart Athens; j. G. Hin
ton, Macon; F. E. Laud, Cordele; NJ
NJ. Parks and K. T. Alfrend. Milledge-
Vile; R. B. Daniel, Valdosta; j. Henry
Walker, Griffin; J. M. Stephenon, d, L.
Earnest and G. G Bond Athens, John
N. Rogers, Shellman; w. p. Thomas,
Jackson; Miss Celestia Parrish, Ath-
Miller and F. o, Spain, Atlanta; c. B.
Gibson, Columbus: L. L. Britain and
l.. NJ. Landum, Atlanta; T. E. Cortel,
Augusta; WILDER Colvin, Demorest; j.
E. Parks. West WONT; E. H. McMi-
chaal and F. G. Webb, Atlanta; L. =.
Smith, LAGRANGE; E. H. johnson, Ok
ford; W. H. Fitzpatrick, Macon, and
Joseph D. Smith, Jefferson.
State Commissioner Merritt is also
| here.
The association was called to order
at $50 o'clock this morning by Presi-
dent N. e. Ware. The first address
was by Prof. M. NJ. Parks. His subject
was Agriculture in the Public
Schools" He Stated that several
states have recently enacted laws re-
quiring agriculture to be taught in the
public schools. Georgia passed such a
law last summer. The other states are
Virginia, North Carolina, South Car
| DINA, Alabama, Louisiana and Ne
braska. Agriculture is also required
in the schools of all the counties in
Maryland. and many of the counties
| in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio,
and other Northern and Western
| states. In many countries of Europe
| agriculture is a required part of school
work. There are in Europe more than
| 100000 school gardens, France alone
has 10000.
| Prof Parks quoted the opinions of
number of leading educators who be-
| lieve that agriculture is a desirable
part of school work. President Eliot
Of Harvard believes that a knowledge
| of nature is an essential element Of
culture. Many a hereaved woman"
he says, has found more consolation
in tending a garden, and in making
good use of flowers, than in all Mil
ton, Watts. or Tennyson." President
Harper of Chicago thinks that instruc-
ton in agriculture for the rural
schools corresponds to the introduce
ton Of manual training in the city
schools. The step he regards las one
of marked significance in the history
of education
Prof. Parks thinks that agriculture
should be in the schools both from the
| pABctical and from the educational
standpoint. Georgia could save mil
lions of dollars annually if the county
schools would give less attention to
stocks and bonds and brokerage, and
more to farming. Many an immature
Browning, who ought to be reading
Hunnicutt's Agriculture; many a ner-
vous girl is porting over the abstrac-
tions of Tngonometry who ought to be
cultiVating roses; many a poor boy is
endeavoring to translate Latin, who
ought first to be learning how to trans
plant fruit trees. Modern educa-
WIN uSlik1hQS tAAfpA SehOOi WI VIC
brought closer to life. Wherever
agriculture or school gardens have
been tried in connection with schools
it has been found that children en-
Joy the work and profit from it in
tellectually as we'll as practically.
This afternoon Miss Celestia Parrish
spoke strongly in favor of manual
training. She urged that manual train
ing be properly related to other forms
of school work instead of taeking 1t
on as "a side issue. She predicted that
the time would come in primary edu-
cation, when the industrial work would
become a central part of school work
with which other studies would be
properly correlated.