Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-09-22
AGRICULTURE
IN SCHOOLS.
State Superintendent of Public
Instruction Tell of Demand for
knowledge of Farming.

INN lON, OepJ. A1."lHlS ClTcu-
lar has been issued OF county school
superintendents by the state depart
ment of public instruction:
In every section of the state there
is a growing appreciation of the pos
sibilities of agriculture and q CORE
spending demand for a better and
more general knowledge of its ele-
ments. The tendency of the instruc-
ton given our rural youth in the past
has been to. wear them from rural
life. The time has come to make
this instruction of such a character
that it will put them in closer, broad
er and more intelligent touch with
their environment and cause the
rural school to become a more prac-
tical force.
From you, who have the care and
oversight of our rural school, should
come the initiative in meeting this
new demand. We now ask you to CO.
operate with us in making the educa-
ton of our rural youth more rational
and more in harmony with rural in
terests and occupations. The discus
sions on school yards and school gar
dens issued from this department
were intended to stimulate a proper
interest and pride in home as well as
school environment, and to lead up
to the consideration of other matters
of a more practical character.
Kindly prepare, as though design
ed to be incorporated with the course
of study now in use in the rural and
village schools under your supervi-
sion, an outline of a course that will
embody the elements of agriculture
as related to the conditions of soil
and climate, and of supply and de-
mand in your county. We are i'm
PEELED to make this request because
these conditions are best known to
you, and because such a report from
each of the twenty-one counties will
furnish a special committee of our
High Teachers association the infor-
nation needed to prepare a sugges-
tive course in elementary agriculture
that will prove sufficiently compre-
hensive for general use. Although
New Jersey is a small state, it pos
sesses varied conditions of soil and
climate. A especially adapted
to the heavier soils and more extern
sive farming operations of middle
and northern counties of the state
would not be suited to the sandy soils
of our southern counties.
Possibly the objection at once oc-
ours to you that our teachers have
not a scientific and practical knowl-
edge of agriculture and are not quail
flied to carry a curse of study on
this subject into successful operation.
This is true and will continue to be
true until the requirement is made
and the task is set. Necessity will, in
this as in other lines of action, prove
a most potent incentive to effort.
When we shall take as advanced a
stand in regard to this form of indus
trial education as has ben taken in
many other states and courses of
study shall have been formulated and
published, works on agriculture will
quickly find a place in our school and
pedagogical libraries, our teachers
will discover new and fascinating
fields of investigation and the num-
erous summer schools will suddenly
receive an appreciative and largely
increased patronage. Furthermore,
as a result of recent legislation u
rural teachers should a year hence
begin to experience something of the
encouragement and enthusiasm that
comes from receiving proper compen-
Sation and be in a position to bear
without hardship the expense of the
special preparation required.
MANY of us have been wont to de-
plore the lack of educational interest
manifested in many of our country
districts. 1t now occurs to me that
we have been culpably slow in discov-
ering the surest mean of stimulating
it. A course of training that will in
crease their children's productive ca
pacity, better fit them for earning a
livelihood, open up to them the
esthetic and material possibilities OF
farm life and suggest to them the
graces and utilities of rural home
making, will certainly appeal to u
rural patrons.
Il believe hat the subject of this
circular is one of vital Importance in
New Jersey education, and that it
should Be fully discussed at a meet
ing of county and city superintend-
ents to be held during the year. AS
early a response as practicable will
be greatly appreciated.
&C. j. BAXTER,