The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-01
SOME FUNCTIONS OF A
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Al the recent meeting Of the Farm
ers' Institute of Hawaii, Miss Minnie
Reed. science teacher at Kamehameha
Manual School. read the following
paper on Home Making and the Art
Of Right Living as Influenced by Our
College Of Agriculture:
| Among the earliest of land grant
colleges to be established were the
| Michigan and Kansas agricultural COL
| leges. For twenty-five or thirty years
| they have led all others in the quality
| Of their wo-k and in their influence
| upon the citizens Of their State.
| They have not been fused with their
| State universities, so have kept their
| individuality and done their own spe-
| cial work well, They have laid their
| foundations on broad, generous lines,
| and have developed fine, strong men
| and women from the young boys and
| girls sent TO their halls Sometimes
these boys and girls come from very
crude homes and from unframed or il
literate parents, but not always: for
many students come from cultured
homes. either from ranch, farm, village
or city. Most Of these boys and girls
are young, from fourteen to eighteen,
and usually they are very much in
earnest and anxious 10 gain the prac-
teal training offered.
know most about the Kansas Ag-
riculturaI College, SO shall tell some
thing about the work it has done and
is doing for the homes Of the COM
monweaith. Other agricultural col
leges are doing similar work in other
States, but no state has as WELL
equipped, well-organized DOMESTIC sci
ence department as Kansas.
President George T. Fairchi1d,
brother of the famous Oberlin presi-
dent, wisely directed the affairs Of the
Kansas Agricultural College for nearly
twenty years and laid the foundation
on broad. practical lines He was one
OF the earliest advocates of the lab
oratory, manual or technical training.
along with the scientific and English
work, in agricultural colleges. After
much opposition and against many OBJ
stacles, he demonstrated the advan-
tages Of such training for the students
under his care. He always said, We
learn best by doing; SO we must have
adequate laboratories for the sciences
and shops for the manual and tech
meal training" He often said, Our
students are young enough 70 graduate
here: then go TO the university for the
higher training; for we train the head
and hand together" He believed this
50 thoroughly that he sent his three
sons TO the agricultural college for
their preliminary training, before he
sent them on 10 an Eastern college to
take professional studies
Very early in the history Of this coli
lege. domestic science was put into
the curriculum for the girls. on the
same basis as the practical agriculture
for the boys; and no boy could grad
uate without the agriculture, nor no
girl without the domestic science.
The boys have five hours per week Of
actual practical farm work in fields,
gardens, orchards and IN caring for the
farm animals: besides classroom les |
sons and lectures upon agriculture |
soils. etc The girls beginning with the
first year have five hears weekly de-
voted 10 plain sewing. dressmaking,
embroidering, etc, besides lectures On
economic and hygienfe clothing for /
women and children. The second year
Is devoted to cooking all kinds Of foods |
from the plain bread and beefsteak to /
pies. cakes, puf-paste and French can
dies Serving a meal daintiIy and ar /
tstically is also a part of the actual /
laboratory training: for there is not /
only a kitchen and range. bat a china /
closet and a dining room, where break
Ii
~ served by the girls. who have to act /
as hostesses when the governor and /
regents. faculty or less august friends
visit the college
Besides this. the girls are taught how
10 cook for invaIids and children, and
study the proper balanced ration for
the brain worker. day laborer or ath-
lete: and the chemistry OF all the sta.
pie foods and their relative digestf-
biIity.
Fruit canning, the making Of jeilies.
jams. preserves and pickles is put IN
the last year. along with marketing,
for those girls who take domestic sci
ence for their major subject
It is needless 70 say that many d
girl speeializes in domestic science.
If during the four years
study she has considered the profered
partnership of some young farmer and
expects 10 preside over their home The
roung men and women meet freely IN
classroom and social affairs Of the col
eye. and many lifelong attachments
ire formed before graduation There
ire also special courses in horticulture
md home flower gardening offered 10
INV girl who chooses them. and very
many choose to spend two hours per {
week during their senior year in learn
ny how TO raise various kinds OF
louse or garden plants Under the d.
ection Of a genial old Scotch garden z
r these two hours are q delightful [
ac~eation. whether il be in the con-
erratory or out in the spring sunshine
Iantfng seeds or pansies and roses
Every girl also has special lectures II
.erS0nal hygiene, in the care Of a tam
IL. in household sanitation. decoration !
nd furnishing: besides. vocal and in
t~unental music. drawing. designing,