The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-03-24

sufsii utats. The idea is still some.
what Grade in any mind. but hope
IN subsequent articles to enter more
into detail. AS IL now seems To me.
clubs could be organized IN each
school district; and in townships
where there are several schools there
might be central CLUB formed. The
clubs could nave a president and see
retary, and would, of course, be an
der the immediate direction of tie
teacher,
1t is possible That later on. ii size
idea should prove a success and Mas
generally adopted. that there could
/ be Il central head for the whole state
TO which reports might be sent as 10
the work being done Icy the different
clubs. However, that i, somethirg
that will come up later. Very nat
urally the success OF the local clubs
would depend upon the teachers
being in sympathy With the work ana
who would encourage aud assist pu-
pills. The success of the movement
will largely depend upon the teacher.
The pupils Will be EN- astic cir
indifferent according us the %teacle
is enthusiastic or indifferent. Il
would not necessarily follow that
every pupil in the school would be-
long to this club. Possibly in a
school OF IS or 30 not more than one
half dozen would be members OF Il
club of this kind the first year. But
| thoroughly believe that as the
movement became fully understood
that more scholars would become in
terested in 1T. 1t is evident why a
movement of this kind would be ben
eticial to the pupils who would take
part, and we need not enter into ii
discussion of the benefits derived.
The first year-we will suppose
that they commence this spring-each
pupil would have to furnish his own
seeds but after this | believe that
the Department at Washington or
possibly the State Agricultural Col
lege could be depended upon to fur
nish these to the different clubs.
Now then, suppose we take up, we
will say, experiments with corn.
Each pupil has enough field corr to
plant enough for two shocks. This
may be planted in another field of
corn so as tc test the variety as com
pared with the variety grown on the
farm. The teacher can explain to
the pupil how to count the rows and
plant the corn so that the shocks
when cut will stand in the row with
the other corn. BY planting in this
way it will not be mixed with the
other corn IN cutting and the use of
the markers for the plot which are
bard to keep up in a corn field may
be avoided. There should be some
sort OF a blank prepared on which
to make record OF the date of plant
ing, the depth the corn was planted.
the date the plant appears above
ground, date of tasseling, the yield,
and other data that will teach them
to observe. These records should
be filled out and filed With the teach
er. Now for those who would not
care to experiment with corn, they
might experiment with vegetables,
such as beets, radishes, beans, carrots
and tomatoes, Or among the girls they
might rather choose to experiment
with flowers, let US say petunias,
nasturtiums, phloX, candy tuft, por-
%tulaca, sweet peas and pansies.
| think | shall write nothing more
in this article regarding the matter,
but only hope that this short article
will open up suggestions leading to
the pupils getting interested i'm the
study Of agriculture. Later on this
might be extended to fam animals,
birds and insects. The writer pro-
poses going into the matter more full
ly and with that end in view will
write to proper authorities in differ
ent states to find out what is being
done in this movement. | would
like very much to receive any sugges-
tions along this line.
C. c. Bras.