Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-27
FARMERS MEET
WITH TEACHERS
JOINT SESSION IS HELD IN SAN
FRANCISCO
A. c. True, Director Of U. s. Experi.
mental Stations, Urges Teach
ing of Agriculture In Pub
lie Schools
specIal To The I1nrn1h

Special tn The Herald.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 26.-The Cal
ilornia State Farmers institute met TO-
Gay III Joint session with the California
Teachers association. Meetings will
De held during the next three days to
consider matters of interest to both
organizations. After the convention
was called to order this afternoon the
iirst paper read was by A G. True.
director of United States agricultural
experiment. stations whose topic was
why the Friends of Agricultural
Progress Believe That Agriculture
Should Be Taught i'm the Public
Schools" The essay was followed bv
a discussion of the subject presented.
participated in by 70. w. Hildard. pro-
lessor of agriculture. Berkeley; r. O..
CraWtord, county superintendent of
schools, Oakland, and l.. d. Harvey of
Wisconsin.
Mr.. True said in part:
Ihe movement for the introduction
In agriculture into secondary and
primary schools is passing RAPIDLY from
the stage of agitation to that of action
and realization. The agitation of this
SUBJECT IN this country began in the
DAYS when Washington, great farmer
as well as great general and states
man, was the foremost man in the new
republic. Tt has ebbed and flowed MANY
times since then without leaving any
lasting impress on our educational sys-
tenn until within the last decade 1t has
gathered such volume and assumed
such substantial form that the per-
manent accomplishment of it's object
seems assured
When we inquire why this is so the
reasons are many, but they may be
grouped under two or three main heads.
In general the claims of agriculture to
a place in our public school system are
based both on the economic, social and
educational needs of agriculture and
agricultural people as related to our
present civilization, and on the peda-
gogic requirements of school system
which shall be adapted to the masses
of people in a democratic and indus
trial state, and to the symmetrical cul-
ture of the mind and body OF the hu-
man child. In word, intelligent farm
ers and learned pedagogues approach
ing the subject from their respective
standpointS now meet on a common
platform, and, each party using the
arguments appropriate to his calling,
agree that agriculture is fit and use
full subject to be taught in public
schools. Hence the friends of agricul-
tural progress in this country have
good reason to believe that ere long
agriculture will be generally taught in
our schools and form permanent part
of the public school curriculum.
"The unintelligent farmer in every
age and land has sunk to the level of
a stolid and unprogressive peasantry,
and in this way, In spite of the efforts
of great statesmen and philanthropists,
the general level of prosperity among
farmers has been kept very low.
But in addition to the economic
needs of agriculture there are the social
needs of agricultural people. In obedi-
ence to the general influences of our
developing civilization and the peculiar
of farming under irrigation
our western farmers are inevitably
being drawn into closer social ties and
the currents of their lives are inter-
with those Of the communi-
ties in which they live in ways which
as yet they are 10th to recognize and
the general results of which they are
as a rule too innocent or too ignorant
to discern.
Meanwhile, the other forces of So
ciety are more and more banding them
selves together to control the ballot
box, legislation, social institutions and
the general conduct of affairs. Unless
the farmers can be educated that as a
mass they will have the cooperative
spirit, have some real and vital under
standing of community of interest, and
know how to mingle to their own ad-
with men of other vocations,
their lives will forever run in a narrow
and monotonous channel and the con-
troll of even their own affairs will
largely pass into the hands of other
men,"
An interesting paper on "School Gar
dens," presented by b. B. Davis of the
state normal school at Chico, was dis
cussed by d Il. Bateman, county super
intendent of schools, San Jose; Edward
Hiatt. county superintendent of schools.
Miss Bertha Chapman, sE
perYisor of nature study in the Oak