The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-12-21

cIallN >ucee>>fUl demands the
highest degree oi BRAN efficiency.
Modern >c.tuce applied 10 agri-
culture has Improved varieties ot
tuit aud grains and has INC. 1ASed
then producjiNeue>>. Ii mas made
possible Improvement ut all oar
tNprS at domestic animals, Snlkal
they are more useful Tor specific
purposes. Ii has taught u~ how
"a com hat animal and plant dis
eases aud iuSec pests and how Ia
care tor the plant and the animal
to secure the best Development.
In the development oi our i'm
proved reeds of imalS. >cien-
titic knowledge OF the laws of le
production aud the processes OF
nutrition have been e>sttidl fac
tors Tie animal becumeS plastic
in the hands of he Skil!ul breeder
and he is able to perfect 1t along
llueS In which II mas Inherited
tendencies. Thus, the dairy man
has developed the COW capable of
producing two or three pounds OF
butter per day from ancestors
which produced less than half as
much.
Having endeavored to show in
a brief way lie necessity and ben-
efitS of agricultural rducation, let
us consider some Of the means by
which it may be secured.
There seems to tie a growing
demand that every thing should
be taught from the STANDPOINT of
the practical in education. To ii
certain degree tue courses in bot Ii
rural and city high schools are
being changed from year to year
with a view to providing inStiuc.
tlnu which shall relate more
closely to the requirements of
the store. the workshop and the
professions. In the rural schools
it has been found that nature
study and elementary agriculture
can be taught with considerable
degree of success. This is right
and proper. for the earlier life of
the pupil the world of nature is
his world. The child'S earlier
education is, to large extent,
i'll nature study and 10y natures
methods. l. there any more nat.
ural or better way of developing
boys and girls than to follow aud
study the laws that uuderlie the
principles OF agriculture? Learn
lug thuSe things III nature that
are best worth knowing. to the
end of doing those things which
make lie most worth living" mas
been expressed as the purpose of
nature study.
Improvement is the slogan of
the times. In the rural school
Improvement needs to be made,
not only III the buildings and
their surroundings, but also in
the text books and methods of
Instruction. The possibilities of
science and the training that
comes from farm work are not
suggested to the farmers child
ii so many of the books.
for ha want no nam ,,I,
longer attend school, there is the
agricultural press and the bul
letins issued by the Department
of Agriculture and by the var
ious Experiment Stations. These
bulletins are prepared 10y experts
and no more reliable information
is to be found anywhere til an is
given in them.
Farmers Institutes are grand
thugs Here the SONS of farmers
see and talk with those who have
had experience in their lines aud
are competent to imparJ informa-
ton.
a visit to good, clean country
fair has its educational value.
W lille there, the farmer can see
what is being done i'll the way of
improving the breeds of live
stock and the different kinds of
grains and grasses He may dis
cuSs methods of breeding, the
values of certain breeds of live
stock for certain purposes, under
known conditions, and the best
way of combating vermin and
disease. Aud, if he has a pocket
note book, he can carry home for
future reference much valuable
Information about life stock,
grains, fruits and machinery.
Better still is a course III agri-
culture at a school where some
of The basic principles are taught
and where practical demonstra-
tions of many valuable things are
made and worked out under the
eye of the stUdent.
Some States are so aroused to
the needs and benefits OF agricult-
ural education as to provide i'll
struction in the rural schools.
Others have not gone so far in
their system of education, but
have organized County Agricult-