The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-10
AGRICULTURE IS
 IMPORTANT STUDY Wilkinson Says Schools Should
 Teach It MUCH BUILDING ACTIVITY pr. Aaron S. Watkins, Candidate for Vice President on the Prohibition Ticket, Will Speak at Annls-
 ton Tomorrow Night.
MUCH BUILDING ACTIVITY

Annston. September 9.-(Special 1.-The
 feature of todays session of the Fourth
 district teachers institute was the ad-
 dress of J. A. Wilkinson, state commits
 sioner of agriculture, on the subject of teaching agricultural in the schools. The address was a learned and interest ing presentation of the subject, and was heard with absorbing interest by the teachers and others who availed them
 selves of the opportunity.
 Equipped with charts and maps, the | speaker was prepared to instruct and in- terest, as well as convince his hearers of 1 the importance of the matter under con- | sderation.
 l MT Wilkinson advocated the education 1 of the farmers in order that farming
 might be scientifically as we'll as profit
 ably conducted. He denounced and con-
 demned the idea that anybody could farm. | He said the farmer should understand 1 the character of the soil and the nature | of plant life in order to succeed. and | that these things should be taught in the
 common schools of the country. He said | there was more profit in teaching these
 things than in teaching who inhabits
 Africa. The school child of today could ] tell more about some far-off country than l he could of the soil on which he lived, 1 and from which he derived a sustenance
 The average pupil could not tell in what ] township he lived, so little attention was given the matter.
 | The greatest man, the speaker said, was he who understood the workings of na-
 ture and was capable of teaching it. 1 He gave evolution a rap, saying it's workings were always backward instead
 of forward. He demonstrated that evolu- 1 ton always worked toward decay and ruin and never to the improvement of
 the things of nature. On this line he was i particularly interesting.
 l Many interesting talks and demonstra- 1 tions from different teachers were heard 1 today.
 Building Is Active.
 l Low prices in building material and { the cheapness of labor have given quite | an impetus to building in the Model City. <; Building permits for August represent l an expenditure of about $25.000 and pres 1 ent prospects indicate that that amount ! will be exceeded during September. 1 H. B. Rudisll has just awarded con- 1 tract for the erection of spacious resi- l dence on Seventeenth and Quintard to
 cost about $S5O0 or 5000. c. R. Bell will
 build on Fifteenth and Leighton within a
 few weeks, Judge D. c. Blackwell has 1 sold his Leighton avenue home to Mrs. i Matte Smythe, and will probably let a contract this month for a fine residence | on Quintard avenue next to the Sacred
 Heart Catholic church, and the probabil- 1 ities are that Dr. A. N. Steele, who is to l build a s10,00 home on Twelfth and Quin-
 tard, will award the contract soon. | Buildings erected or begun last month l included S4O0O residenceso on Leighton by 1 pr. w. F. Brown, $500 home on Four | teenth by Mrs. A. B. Jones, 5000 resi- | dence on Quintard by Scott Roberts, $1500 | and $500 cottages on Christine by Frank | Snow and c. c. Davidson, a 5000 home l by Dr. J. F. Walker on Tenth and Leigh l ton and 5000 cottage on Walnut ave-
 nue by C. E. Houston, besides a large
 number of repairs and improvements.