Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-11

IN the formal subjects of reading geo
Eraphy, arithmetic, drawing, etc, IL
Is just here, we nre convinced. that
any possible failures will arise
Teaching In an art. The teaching OF
children Is really hno art, In which
many otherwise great minds signaily
fall. We cannot hope that the now,
difficult and complex subject OF agri-
culture will present any exception to
| this rule. but should rather expect
that In this subject the natural diff
culties OF successful presentation and
instruction will be considerably In
creased.
In the technical sense, II is true that
tho common schools cannot teach
trades and professions and the move-
ment TO teach agriculture in the schools
is liable to great misconception by the
public.
Teaching is primarily not occupa-
tional and spiritual; and the spirit is
worth more than the letter just as
much in agriculture as in other things
The mere giving Of agricultural In
formation can have, of itself. little
good result with children. This new
subject may easily be made as dis
tasteful as arithmetic and grammar
often are.
Teachers should be careful not to
introduce subjects merely because
practical grown-up farmers think
these subjects useful. Farming is
one thing and teaching is another.
peal TO the child.
It is for the practical farmer to indi-
cate what classes OF subjects he would
like to have taught. 1t Is for the
teachers to decide which of the sub
jects the farmer desires has enough
OF living interest to the child to justify
giving 1t place in the daily eSer-
cises OF the schoolroom. And many
teacher has found out how great
mistake he often makes In supposing
that what is interesting to him is
therefore interesting to his pupils.
Prof. Bailey of Cornell says that all
agricultural subjects should be taught
by the nature study method That
method, he explains, Is: TO see accu-
rately; to reason correctly from what
is seen; to establish a bond of SYM
pathy with the object or phenomenon
that is studied. One cannot see ac-
curately unless one has the object it.
self II the pupil studies corn, he
should have corn in his hands.
To introduce agriculture into school
1t is first necessary to have a willing
teacher. THE second STEP says
Prof. Bailey, lis to begin to study the
commonest and most available object
concerning which the teacher has any
kind of knowledge" The third step
is to organize these observations into
system.
Usually. there may be found at least
one person In the community who is
alive to the Importance of teaching
agriculture in the schools. If this
person has tact and persistence, he
ought to get something started. The
school premises may first be put in
order. 1t may be ornamented by the
planting of trees, shrubs or flowers.
Attractive school premises go long
way toward making a good school. A
piece of ground should be secured for
the planting of a plat by every pupil,
giving practice in school gardening.
II possible, wild plants should be
grown. and attempts made to improve
them by cultivation. In rural dis
tricts, Prof. Bailey thinks that such
problems as the rust OF beans. tho
blight of potatoes, the study of species
of grasses. observation of the effects
of fertilizers, and the testing of seeds,
could be worked out in practice.
AT all events, the average man Is
interested to learn that we seem to be
on the eve OF a sort of revolution, or
at least a decided evolution, in the
course OF study and the aims of teach
ing in the common and high schools of
the country.