The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-29
HAVE MODEL FARM
WITH HIGH SCHOOL
MIR. Clements, in Strong Paper,
Urges Thisin Interest ofEduca-
ton and Agriculture.
HOLD THE BOYS AND GIRLS
Every Effort Should Be Made to
Keep Them at Home Until
Educated.

one Of the most thoughtful and en-
tertaining addresses made at the re-
cent educational conference at Cul-
pepper. which, by the way, was one
of the best ever held in Virginia, was
that OF Mr.. James r. Clements. of
Alexandria countf. in which he
earnestly advocated the establishment
with the high school in each county
OF model farm to be operated with
the school in the interest Of agricul-
ture and education. The suggestion
was received most favorably.
After urging the Importance of lay
ing "a strong and broad foundation In
the work OF education, Mr. Clements
said:
have always thought that in the
public schools. we should teach bio
graphy. as well as arithmetic or bis
tory or geography or spelling or
syntax or business methods. Few
boys know the lives of great men and
their achievements and accomplish
ments. Nothing furnishes 80 great
an incentive as the reading of the
record Of great life. well spent, and
filled with illustrious deeds. We
should place before the young student,
as model or pattern for him to fol-
preacher like Sturgeon or Talmage,
or OF some great statesman like JEFF
ferson. or Gladstone, or Of some great
general like Lee or Napoleon, or Of
some great orator like Prentiss or
Patrick Henry, or of some successful
business man like Marshall Field or
John Wanamaker, or OF some great
historian and scholar like Macaulay
or Hume or of some great painter
IT,
Inventor like Edison or Marconi, Of
the record of any of the lives of the
great men of the world; because the
study of any great life. we'll lived Is
an inspiration to every one, and espe-
cially is II of vast benefit to the young
mind just beginning TO look out upon
the immense panorama before tito
Its own life Of duty and responsibility.
Keep Them on the Farm.
In my Judgment. the next most i'm
portant thing to the course of study
that should be pursued Is the fixed
purpose in the rural districts of our
State 10 endeavor. by all the means
in our power. to keep the boys and
girls at home in the country: and the
living, burning question that should
fix our attention IS. how can this best
be done? We all know only too well
that as soon as the boy and girl get
a little education they begin to think
of going TO the city. They want 10
earn money quickly and to become
self supporting. and the tendency OF
the times lends Its encouragement to
their leaving the happy home in the
country for the toll. and only TOO Of
ten the hardship. of city life. Before
their education Is haltcompleied many
IT.
become poorly paid clerks or sales
men or shop girls or car conductors
and remain so all their lives Scarcely
more than one in 800 achieve success
or become factors in the world. The
great majority never rise above the
plane OF common place and drudgery.
They drift with the tide and are swal-
lowed up in the innumerable cara
van that moves to the pale realms of
shade"
We should strive, then, to make the
country more attractive. and there are
many ways to accomplish this. We
should build the best and most artistic
school houses. with concert halls, and
pretty grounds around them. where
frequent entertainments could be given
for the young people: and they should
he taught to feel their individual i'm
portance, and to become interested in
their recreation as we'll as In their
work. They should be furnished good,
wholesome amusement and entertain
ment whenever possible.
School House and Farm.
i have always strongly Favored
school house and farm. with large
playground, In every county in the
State: and the advantages are so
manifold and beneficent that I en-
terrain the hope that the experiment
shall be tried. There will undoubtedly
soon be established high school in
should be attached to it. This farm.
in my judgment. should be not less
than $50 acres. with dwellins-house.
barns. etc; the school house. with the
playground contiguous should be some
200 yards distant from the farm
dwelling house. and this dwelling
house should be commodious one,
CONSTRUCTED in the best style for COM
fort and convenience: and the entire
farm. should be cultivated and man
aged by a competent and experienced
man. who should make it model,
with pretty grounds and nice out
buildings, and whftewashed fence. and
cattle and fowls in a well-kept barn
yard. orchards filled with choice fruit
trees, and gardens with grapes and
growing the finest vegetables. The
farm should be made a show place in
the county; the pupils should inspect
It frequently; they should go over
the clean. well-kept house and note
the farming operations and manage
ment. The man In charge of the farm
should be, the caretaker Of the school
house.
There should be several spare rooms
in the farmhouse for the use Of the
teachers; it should all be under the
control of the school board of the coun-
ty, and the school building should con-
tain eight rooms and large concert
hall, 1t should be the meeting place
Tor the board and for the school In
spectors and examiners and the place
where teachers examinations should
take place and where educational and
agricultural meetings could be held,
IN summer it should be place for
RECT Enp CHI 7 G.