The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-06-20

Strange surprising strange, that
old as humanity is, agriculture, the
sustainer Of humanity is, as a science,
less than Ave decades old. Yet 1t Is
characteristic. Down through the
ages man himself, in his relations
with his Immediate environment, has
ever been the last phase of study.
An endless variety OF phenomena
has been the subject of mans atten-
ton, while until recently man him
self has remained listless alike to
the adaptab1lity. of his farm to GER
tain system of farming, or whether
in a mining region he should attempt
to sell lumber rather than butter
and eggs.
But we are awaking. More pro-
Sress in real agriculture has been
made since the founding OF the Am
erican system Of agricultural educa-
ton than is characteristic of all the
worlds previous history. The
school of today is school Of actu-
afities. Those Of the past have
been in no mean way schools of po-
tentialities. The schools of the fu-
ture will be as far above the schools
of today as those of today are be-
You'd those of generate ms past.
In each case it is economy that is
the controlling factor. The schools
Of today are what they are becase
society compels them to- be so. Our
standard of living has Increased
above that Of past ages: and we
must work to maintain it and to
give 1T at least normal growth. In
order to do this, there must be men
and women trained to the perform
ance Of the work that will bring the
desired results. So that the schools
are coming now to realize that if the
child is to- be able to cope with the
problems that Immediately concern
him, he must be given an education
correlatlve with his activities.
No longer is it considered the wise
part to teach the rural school boy
that in Asia the Chinese eat rice al
most exclusively and that rice Is
raised chiefly in maritime colonies
The subjectmatter of the pupil is
largely that of the local region. If
the pupil is in Ohio he learns that
Ohio is one of the seven surplus maize
producing states Of the country, that
by Judicial culture of the soil, in
Guiding a proper system Of rotation
and a well-balanced animal husban-
dry, his farm may be made to yield
double, perhaps four times, that of
the present. If he lives in New York
he learns that the Metropolis City of
America and the neighboring cities
pr Divide excellent avenues for the
sale Of dairy products, and Of fruit
If he lives in West Virginia, he stu
dies apples and sheep. He studies
the soil and the weather wherever
he may be.
What is the result The boy at
once becomes interested.in mis- school
work, because he sees that it is con-
cerned with improving the run down
farm with it's worn out fences and
Stacking buildings. He IS set to
thinking whether or not it is not
the fault of the farm so much as it
is his own that little better than an
eking existence under endless druid
gerry accrues
Agricultural education is still
young. Less than thirty years ago
the boy who dispensed with training
in other colleges or schools and show
ed a preference for the agricultural
colleges was looked upon by his
friends with conmiserating patron
age. One of the grandest safeguards
to the future Of agriculture was the
sturdy, rugged self-reliance of these
boys who went into the agricultural
college. The very stability Of their
convictions augured more than
mute oracles for the future stability
of education in agriculture. Today
many Of these men are drawing sal
aries larger than that paid the Gov
ernor Of West Virginia. Since they
were graduated from their colleges
they have worked only in agriculture
and are today engaged in agricul-
4 II O III Of
are thriving on their own farms.
The study of agricultural is ad-
vancing most encouragingly. Agricul-
tural high schools are now operating;
courses in agriculture are now being
introduced into secondary schools,
and agriculture in it's elements is be-
ing tnculfated by means of the
nature-study idea. Added to these
are the farmers Institutes, reading
and correspondence courses, and the
agricultural press, as allies,
These conditions are stable. They
are stable, because they are demands
from the pillars of the
nation; the farmers. So great has
the grasp of this education become
on the American mind, that Of the
rank and file of the agricultural stu
dents, no mean proportion comprises
boys and girls who never saw a farm
nor a threshing machine until they
Our faces are turned countryWard.
Nearer and nearer are we drawing
to that turing carol which Bailey
sings:
| teach
The earth and soil
To them that toll,
The hill and fen
To common men
That live just here;
The plants that grow,
The winds that blow,
The streams that run
In rain and sun