Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-07-16

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
District superintendent in Ses-
sion in This City.
Discussed by Agent Of Massachusetts
board of Education-Suggestio
by state Superintendent Stone
-Gov. PrOctOr's Views.

The first session Of the second annual
conference OF the District Superinten-
dents' Association of Vermont was call
ed to order at the williams Science hall
of the University of Vermont at $50
Monday morning by superintendent
Arthur w. Eddy Of Bristol He first in
troduced Congressman D. J. Foster. Mr..
Foster expressed his personal interest in
the recent advancement In educational
methods In Vermont. He pointed out
that the United States government had
Of late taken several great and funda-
mental steps looking towards the furth
or establishment and maintenance OF
educational work along agricultural lines
In the several Lara grant colleges The
tendency of the times is to move yet
further in the same direction. The Davis
bill. now before Congress, proposes to
provide for more general and element
airy education In agriculture and manual
training In the secondary and high
schools throughout the country.
J. l.. Southwick. a member of the com
mittee in charge Of the state school
funds was then introduced He spoke
Of the encouraging advance now being
made under the efficient leadership of
the present State superintendent. The
most important of these are tho estab-
lishment of n State school fund. tho CEN
tralized school and the employment Of
district superintendent. It Is believed
that In the larger aspects these laws
are all that is needed. but in some Of
| the minor details there is still chance
| for Improvement He pointed out that
the most important steps needed to be
| taken were in the lower grades and in
| L., .,.,i1,
English. He also commended the selec-
ton Of the topics for the week especial
~ forestry This is one Of the great
problems for Vermont. Tree planting is
important, but II the teachers can by
any instruction or influence decrease the
dangers now evident Of forest destruc-
tior by careless starting of fires they
viii do quite as much as by planting
| trees.
Soils and soil management were dis
| cussed by Frof. ]. L. Hills of the Uni
versity of Vermont. He pointed out that
| the modern division OF agriculture was
| into five parts, namely-agronomy. ZOO
| techny, agrotechny, rural engineering
and rural economies. that the morning
discussions Of the first three days arc to
be given up to the consideration of
| agronomy. Of the fourth and fifth days
to zootcchny and to agrotechny.
Agronomv Is concerned with considera
| ton OF crop growth and environment,
and soil management naturally lists UNI
der this head. Soils may properly be
considered from the standponts Of ply
| steal geography. chemistry. physics. bio
logy. and economies. The making of the
soil, Its relationship to water ice. glacial
action and to oarthworms and other or
ganic agencies were reviewed. Construc-
tive and destructive erosions were con-
sidered together with means of control-
ing the latter. Stress was laid upon the
relationship Of the humus content Of the
soil to the maintenance Of soil fertility
and to the control Of destructive pro-
| cesses.
The deficient plant food elements OF the
soil were indicated and some emphasis
laid upon the relationship of the use OF
lime to the correction of faulty soil condi-
tons particularly the ameloration OF
over-reten,ive clays and the neutraliza-
ton OF acid soils.
The bacterial life of the soil was dwelt
upon and the relationship of micro
organisms to the preparation for plant
uses of mineral and organic plant food
and to the growth of clover and legumcs.
The moisture relations OF the soil, the
great call of plant life upon the capillary
water of the soil and the relationship
thereto OF adequate tillagc were out
lined. The present drought offers an OBJ
ject lesson of the benefits of inter-tilage.
one can readily note to-day the DIFF
ference between a we'll and an Ill TILED
piece OF corn in the character of the
foliage in one case tho broad. fiat green
thrifty leaf in the other, wthered and