The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1908-12-05

~ N'iillU annual convention
oi the pcco, Valley Teachers As.
sociatlun wa, held IN Roswell last
week and It was a great gathering
in several lenses OF the word. /,
was intensely interesting to on,
who takes an interest in the pro.
gross and development OF the
state, which ni course IS lnscparah.
w conn ct,d with the common
school system. Like many others
oi the common herd, some OF the
papers were more or less un,ntclli.
gihlc t. me, but that has nothing
t. do with it. The assembly was
proof that these three counties
have advanced to an educational
point Tar beyond that OF the iron.
ti,r, and DIRECTLY IN line with the
best equipped sections OF the union .
a widt lump when II - remembered
that all OF this region is only a irw
wears from the desert. OF the
value OF thcs, assOCiatioual con.
Claycs there can not br the least
doubt. The Interchange Ut theory
and practice, experience Is helpful
to the master as we'll a the he.
g,nncr, and YOU will alWays notice
that 1t Is the trained teacher who
takes the deepest interest IN them
and who garner tn, most helpful
ideas tor their own work. That Is
the way in the trade and proics.
slonal conventions, and 1t Is fitting
that it should bo so with the great
and WONDERFULLY efficient staff who
have the important task OF starting
young America right.
Roswell opened its door, to The
visiting teachers, and very proper.
Is, Roswell is the seat OF the H,coS
Valley, and It now app - to h,
only a matter ui 81, when Che
valley will lc the seat Ot learning u
the whole commonwealth II not the
whole southwest. The elements
were not as kind as the people,
but there were rcCompenscs even AT
that, and they were apparent all
OF the way through the sessions, Tor
it gave a closer application to the
matters under discussion. While
the visitors were denied a sight OF
tho mos, wonderful irrigated
country in the world, and which
would have been a proper tore
runner TO next wear meeting,
which will be held at portalc,, the
oldest town IN the great plains
country, the capital OF Roosevelt
county, furnishes the most inter.
e,tlng phase OF educational work
on the slope, having a total staff OF
nearly 400 teachers and more
country schools than either OF the
other counties, nearly twice a.
much.
The believer in true American.
ism has a firm and abiding faith
in the common school system.
Time has shown that it is the
great hulwark OF national liberty,
and that it is not an lntleXible one,
for from time TO time 1t has been
modified and extended TO keep
pace with the progress OF clvili2a.
ton and scientific education. 1t
will not be long before two more
branches will appear in even the
humblcSt country schools, One
OF them will be an agricultural
course, consisting ot the rudiments
oil soil culture, the science OF plant
growth, the principle OF seed
selections, climatology and It's ei-
feet upon farm crops. This must
ever be an agricultural nation,
no matter how vast its industrial
ccntcrs may become, and the i'm.
partment OF these branches OF cs.
sential knowledge will not be much
longer deferred in all OF the states
oil the union. Indeed IT has al
ready been taken up IN many
divisions, with a gratifying result
that is already apparent. II is a
most attractive study, and a vast.
" important one, as well the east
est OF all to attach TO the forming
minds OF the Young. The higher
branches OF agricultural science
may properly he lett to the agri.
cultural colleges, but the elements
have a proper plac" in the common
schools, and it will not be many
years before they will have a place