The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17

successful agriculture, and has insis1ed
that such a study Is ono of tho very best
foundations for general culture, We tan
understand how her graduates wo,,id
form nm influential body IF men bo,h
able and willing to help along tho move
rnent for n better training Tor tho Gar.
mer'H boy.
Tho course ut the agricultural college
not only developed tho in.sGlyenco,
stimulated the Imagination. widcacd the
outlook and gave the students scisnttic,
practical and sympathetic interest III the
world about them, but It also gave them,
AZ free citizens OF rising nation,
greater interest In civic affairs and slow
ed them the value of co-o?.:ition sId
collective action.
Tho second agency for tho ldvancc-
mcnt OF rural education. Is inseprrab,y
associated with the name OF DR. Jaines
i w. Robertson, whom some OF the mem
bers here met at Lexington. ~, IN The
early part Of this year. AS Commissioner
OF Agriculture for Canada, Or. Robertson
began d series OF illustration experiments
! 10 "help the farmer nuke more 0. him.
| self and hls farm" He organized n
| system OF cold storage from tho cream
| cry to the British market, with tho re-
| suit that the Increase OF butter exported
was sixteen fold, in eight years ftiSo+l
! to 1902).
| In Prince Edward Island particularly did
! DR.. Robertson show tho value of co-opera-
! ton and education in the manufacture of
! butter and cheese. In 1891 there vas nn
! output valued at ss14s.00. In 1901 the
! value OF the output was soc6sa.00. A
sixty-seven fold increase in ten yeals.
i In the provinces OF Ontario and Quebec
greatly increased returns were he -,
suit Of tho application OF Intelligent Ia
Dor to the agricultural industries. In
/ Ontario between 1894 and 1904 the value
/ OF the agricultural products for EXPORT
| doubled In value notwithstanding the fact
j that tho number OF farms and farmers
remained nearly stationary.
Dr.. Robcrtson's policy in all mis- Of
forts to make the farms more productive
was Simply to break the way for new
and vast interests and then to withdraw
IN favor or the spirit of self help that
they have aroused and directed"
While directing this movement of ap-
plcation Of science, organization and CO.
operation to farm labor. DR.. Robertson
was not forgetful Of the boys and girls
Of the farm. He was plann.n. q l;ind
Of school training In which the ''.,,.ics
and joys Of the farm would be enpha
sized. In this scheme he secures the TO-
operation OF Sir William C. Mcdonald,
a millionaire merchant Of Montreal. who
x supplied the funds
Il To show the Importance Of planting
selected seed in improving the crops. and
to create an interest in this ma.tar among
the boys and girls they established a
seed grain competition. Prizss were OF.
fered to encourage the selection of the
q largest heads of the most vigorous plans
| and growing seed from the nea1s On q
plot by itself. There was yearly com.
petition for every province and u n.air
| competition extending over thr,s :nals
Any boy or girl living on Canadian
q 70 ,,n 5o~ wan r,p 90.
could enter the competition" 4S rrlzc:
were given In the yearly competition. G.
4 a total value Of nearly SSH, 100000.
Encouraged by the great interest SLOW,
in this work, they planned wha. IS nov
known as the Macdonald Rural Schools
Movement 1t had a threshold object.
]. To show the value of consolidation 9
schools by the establishment Of rura
consolidated schools in each of the eas
ern provinces, well equipped win con;
. petent stats for teaching alongwi.h iii
ordinary subjects. manual training an
nature study. where school garden wor
Is emphasized.
q To train teachers in the new subjec
: OF manual training domestic scient
4 and nature study. The Macdonald Il
: stitute Of the Ontario Agricultural Co
Z lege is the training school Of the teacher
I'D helped by the fund In future tn
: teachers will be trained at the Mao
Donald College, Ste. Anne de Bellevu
Quebec.
3. To provide school gardens at q grol
4 of FIVE schools in each proyiace. With
travelling instructor in charge of eac
group he spending one day each week
each Of the schools of the group. guidi1
both teacher and pupils.
The Macdonald movement In Canad
t is an effort to construct somc:h ':lg lie
ter along educational lines than III
which now exists in rural districts. III
!. movement has nothing destructive III
Z q It does not desire to destroy anytime
!, good that now exists; but 1t hopes
t construct something better, and therel
replace what is poor, It aims at heipl:
J, the rural population to understand he
q ter what education Isl and what i. mi;
do for them and their children.
s The term Of three years during whit,
the fund agreed to maintain these age
cies Is now nearly over, and We nre alb
: to see the results as 1t were from II
distance.
J These results arc
t I. A great interest has been arous
4