The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-10-12
Teaching Agriculture.

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'arm, it is more important toimprove
the farmer. Farmers are more than
iarms-souls than soils. A tuHar
knowledge OF agriculture would
greatly change she farmer. lswould
broaden his mind and deepen his way
OF thinking. His vocation would ap-
pear to him 10 new aspect Instead
OF walking hlindly among the great
forces OF nature, as he now 500 Olsen
does-instead oflooklng upon nature
as a great puzzle, that only per-
plexes, or hewilders, or discourages
him-he would see order and beauty
aud law that would clarity his think
ing and encourage md guide him to
more successful doing.
Teach the children the lessons OF
the soil. Tell them the wonderful
story of it's origin, or, better still, let
them tell you what they have seen in
the field and by the brook, and then
give them the charming explanation.
Tell them why men pillow and what
are the reasons for cultivating she
soil, and what methods OF cultiva-
tion ARE beneficial and what are de-
cldedly Injurious. Tell them how the
physical condition OF the soil may
affect Its fertility; and tell them what
elements have been taken from .he
soil when 1t Is worn out, and how to
replace them. Tell them the marvel
Gus story OF the most important dis.
covery OF modern times--a discovery
which places in the hand OF every
farmer, a means, completely under
his control, of drawing from the at
mosphere the free nitrogen Of the air,
and OF fixing Ii in any field he may
wish to enrich. 1t is q story OF
minute organisms which are in the
soil-or II they are not there the
farmer can put them there-which
locate themselves upon the roots OF
certain plants and give these plants
power tn store up in their roots to
be left In the soil, Its most valuable
OF plant food, nitrogen.
Tell them whet the tassel and the
silk OF the corn are, and why one Is
st the top OF the stalk and the other
much below 1t. Tell them why the
blossoms OF corn, oats, rice and
wheat are colorless and oderless, and
Why the blossoms OF cotton and the
lovers are SO beautifully colored,
and why they have such exquisite
perfume. Tell them what the bees
and bundles are doing, and OF what
superlative Importance they are to
she e1istance OF many plants, and
how they are most industriously
serving man, a little by the honey
'hey make, but vastly more in other
ways; for they not only increase his
apple, peach and pear crop, but they
also aid in adding fertility to the
'oil.
In the school garden-for there
should be garden near every school 8
teach many OF those devises by
Thich fruits are propsgated, and by
which new and desirable variety Is ,
and distributed. Very few }
II our most valuablefruits are propa-
rated BY seeds; 10 fact some are with.
nut fertile seeds There was never
tut one Brother Jonathan apple tree
n Sudduth pear tree growing on it's I
'wn roots. Explain to the children |
Vhy the scotsman sells no straw {
Jerry seeds. Let the larger pupils 3
Understand plant breeding, as Of 9
orn, 10 their garden, and tell them ,
bout the efforts being made to pro-
luce better-better from q direct
'oint OF view-varleties of cereals.
nd also more hardy and more fruit
nj. The possibilities In plant breed
ng are just d4wning upon the farm l
r, and are as fascinating to him rs
re Marconi's discoveries to the tele.
rspher. Yst there is nothing here
hat alright pupil might not appre-
end. Nothing at any rate so diff.
ult as the Inverted divisor In arith-
nct'c or the passive voice In gram
18r.
Let the children observe that all
Dung animals upon the farm are at
rst without fear, and that she emo. |,
Ion OF fear comes only to preserve
rom harm, and shat II she young :,
hings meet no harm, and early re- :
piVy kind nsaDa thov I'LL ol-o -