Morris tribune., 1905-08-19
RURAL FARM SCHOOLS.
Prof. Hayes Presents Good Reasons
for Their Introduction.

for Their Introduction.
Prof. Hayes, U. S. assistant secret
airy of agriculture, in a recent talk in
St. Paul in regard to rural school
consolidation and the teaching OF
farming at such institutions, said:
SIN establishing farm school in
theRed River valley at Crookston, and
in passing the Anderegg rural school
consolidation bill the Minnesota leg.
islature has inaugurated the most
comprehensive plan for educating it's
farmers of any state in the Union.
The most important law passed by
the legislature, so far as agriculture
and education are concerned, is the
county option bill introduced by Rep.
resentative Anderegg, enabling an
entire county to consolidate it's rural
schools and convert them into central
institutions where will be taught ag-
riculture and home economics, as we'll
as general school subjects.
Each one of these central schools
should be in the center of ten-acre
farm, and a cottage should be built
for the principal, who should have
such training as is provided by the
agricultural school at St. Anthony
Park.
One of the agricultural high school
graduates should be employed to
teach home economics. Those, with
two or three assistants for lower
grades, could organize most effect
i've school.
Farmers will come to realize that
the ten acres of land, the school bui..
djDgs, and other improvements will
have lasting effect, They will soon
find that the slight increase in the
cost of running these schools will
prove better and safer investment to
the credit Of the children than the
amount accumulated to be divided
among them when, they reach their
majoriJies and go out into the world
to shift for themselves. The chan
ces are, too, that the small extra cost
of these schools will not be felt. In
fact, he predicts that if any county
will inaugurate this scheme it will
find the increasing prosperity
brought to it on that account will
more than pay for the added cost of
running the schools.
In a few years under such a sys-
tenn of education the first cost of
would be more than off
set by better crops and more profit
from live stock products. A live
teacher of agriculture in every neigh
borhood would help to plan the
farms better, to secure better seeds
and more profitable live stock.
A teacher in home economics, in
like manner, would help 70 bring
about better cooking Of plain every
day foods, better plans for serving
meals, better clothing, better use of
money in furnishing and decorating
the farm homes and better methods
in doing the everyday routine work
of the home.
The two teachers will educate the
boys and girls to develop a conven-
lent and beautiful farm, with groves,
orchards, gardens, buildings, lawns,
and other improvements SO arranged
that the farm and home life will be
more fully developed.
If the school farm is cut into two
portions, five acres for campus, and
five acres of field crops, the teacher of
agriculture will have a most wonder
ful labratory in which to teach of
-rees, fruits, vegetables and field
crops. He can show every boy and
girl how to do the common work in
he best possible manner. He can be
n constant touch with state and ma
;ional experimenters, and on the
chooi farm can introduce into the
newly bred fruit and
'rops.
The course of study in these farm
chools may be ten instead of eight |
ears, thus putting two years of high |
chool work where the farmer boys
nd girls can secure it while under
he care of their parents. Then the
Expense of attending such splendid
high school as is already
rovided at St. Anthony Park and as
7ill soon be available at Crookston
N L L Il 1