The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-01-24

of districts voting special local taxes has doubled
within the last twelve months.
There Is also a constantly growing demand for
better school-houses. In 1902, three times as
many new buildings were erected as in 1901, and
last year and this the movement has gone forward
by leaps and bounds under the stimulus of the
School-house Loan Fund of 100000 set apart by
the Legislature of 1908. From this fund any rural
district may borrow one-half the cost of it's new
schooi-building,-the loan to bear 4 per cent in
terest and to be repaid in ten annual installments.
As fast as the money is returned it will be loaned
to other districts. At this writing, more than
10000 of the fund has been called for, and the
entire amount will be used within the coming
year.
Consolidation of school districts is also doing
much to promote the Improvement of buildings
and the frightening of terms. Two or more weak
districts, whose sparse populations and small
areas have meant shabby houses and poor teachers,
join their forces, erect an attractive building, and
employ one or more efficient teachers.
Better Methods of Rural Education.
But the leaders of the North Carolina cam
paign for better schools have not been unmind-
full of the fact that there is grave need, not only
of an increased quantity of rural education, but
also of an improved quality of rural education.
In fact, our people have been so long content with
a small quantity largely because they have had
a poor quality. The curriculum has not been
adapted to the needs of country children. CIV
cry book they study" said one of our college
presidents, two years ago, "leads to the city;
every ambition they receive inspires them to run
away from the country; the things they read
about are city things; the greatness they dream
of Ia oitv oreatneSSo To this miStit scheme of IN
struction the long-prevalent idea that the farmer
does not need school training must be largely at
tributed. But now the spirit of the school is
changing. Henceforth it is to lay hold on the
life of it's pupils. In North Carolina, agriculture
and nature study now have a place in the curri-
culum, and the textbook, agriculture for Be-
ginners," written by three professors in the State
College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, is
winning favor wherever it is introduced. For
the first time, the farmer boy is to learn from
his textbooks that education may be applied to
work in the fields and orchards as we'll as to work
in the stores and contingencies How much
this is to mean in increased agricultural wealth
it is impossible to estimate, but probably an even
greater gain is to be made in the farmers changed
attitude toward his calling. For great will be
the change when he comes to see no longer the
dull, unmeaning tasks of yesterday, but life and
mystery in every farming operation, and the sub
FINEST forces of nature allied with him in his
daily work. 1t should also be said just here that
not only in the public schools is agricultural edu-
cation receiving attention, but at the A. q M. Col
lege a magnificent new agricultural building
one of the finest and best-equipped college build
ings in the whole South,-is now In process OF
erection.
c.L~.1 Tsb~a~iae