The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-12-11

1900 there were S3S, 900 acres in
farms or 100000 square miles. If
the entire country were supplied
there would be required $4,000 con
solidated rural schools each to supply
a district of rs square miles. Small
er areas than to Is counties for ag-
riCultural high schools, and smaller
districts than 20 to 80 square miles
for consolidated rural schools. would
considerably increase the total cost
besides being cheaper the larger dis.
tricts, it is believed by many who
know most concerning the expert
ments with these two classes of
schools. rrCvide q far more efficient
eystew of education for farm youth
than do the smaller districts
During the first three decades of
the history OF the State colleges of
agriculture end the mechanics arts
their most rand and popular devel-
opment was along the lines of engi-
neering and the mechanical indus:
tries. The teachers of these subjects
found subject matter easily reducible
to pedagogical form, and students
found that the definite instruction and
practice work along these lines gave
good training and led to salaried po-
sitions in our rapidly developing man
ufacturing and transportation indus
tries. Agriculture, on the other hand,
at first afforded no sufficiently organ
lied body of knowledge which teach
ers could present in a strong way to
students, and there were few salaried
positions open in agriculture. Dur
ing the past decade. however, owing
tn the wisdom of Congress in passing
the Hatch Act establishing state ov-
roriment stations and in appropria
ting money for research in the Fed
eral Department of Agriculture, which
are rapidly adding to the body of
agricultural instruction
has risen to a splendid status Not
only have the subject matter and the
and practice work in agri-
cultural courses been brought up to
I position comparable with instruc-
ion in engineering, but there is a
argely increased demand at good sal
aries for technical workers, as in de-
)artments of agriculture, experiment
stations, agricultural schools. and ag-
'icultural newspapers.
1t may be said that at present we
rave splendid start at a system of
Industrial education. To the State
colleges of agriculture and mechanic
lrts we may largely attribute the de-
Of instruction in manual
raining and mechanic arts in our city
schools. The capital city of Minnneso-
a, one of the first to thoroughly equip
| mechanic arts high school is now
)ut one of many examples of cities
n which young men are prepared to
lid in working up the industries of a
,ity. Manual training, nature study,
ind school gardening in the city pri-
nary schools also are outgrowths of
he work Congress inaugurated when
t passed the first Morrill, Act, estab-
ishing State colleges of agriculture
and the mechanic arts.
These same colleges have also done
lie country a pronounced service in
instruction in home &C.
,rcmics. This relatively inexpensive
inc of teaching is now rapidly eX-
ending from the State colleges into
I'll other colleges, secondary schools,
md primary schools wherever girls
re taught separately or in coeduca-
ional institutions. This one line of
Instruction alone is or vastly greater
yalue than the total cost to the nation
md States of all these colleges.
It is not too much to say that
through the Morrill, hct of 1862 and
acts Congress has
wrought a revolution in American ed
lcation as well as in American agri-
culture. The old educational ideals,
growing out of the purely church
schools, which even yet may be not
ar wrong in training ministers of the
gospel, have slowly given way to the
ar broader ideals for system of pub
ic education suited to the needs alike
If workers, business men, home max
ars, technicians and professionals.
The new education, while retaining
he high moral and ethical ideals of
he old. combines with these substan-
isl training in doing the things of ev-
cry day life. 1t develops at once the
ligh ideals and the ability to succeed
in carrying them out 1t trains to
bink by thinking and it trains to do
by doing. BY broadening out the
course of study early in the childs
school life. allowing 1t to taste both
of things literally and things practical,
IL,