The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-09-11
Agriculture in the Public Schools


professor S. A. Minear of Fort
o'ocktcn, Texas, in National Co.
operator, says:
School gardening is presented with
inc elements of permanency inherited
III ltSeIf, for Europe mas over a hun
urea thousand school gardens TODAY.
"hlch have become feature of the
educational field.
III Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio, in
Philadelphia and Kansas City, it has
iaised adjoining real estate, and in
.ne city of San Antonio, Texas, it
mas raised the value of lots where
children worked with the soil and
growing plants.
ms work is comparatively new to
texas, but it is not, however, in an
experimental stage, Tor in the District
OF columbia, Connecticut, New York
ana other states it has been conduct
ed with various results.
On the other hand, there are many
educators who look upon this work as
fad, but they are stimulated by po-
lltlcal movements, which will event
ually fade away.
Agriculture in a broad sense is the
primary basis of wealth in this coun-
Try, and we should do all in our power
10 bring early to the mind of the
enid facts which will point out the
necessity and Importance of such
work conducted on a systematic and
scientific basis.
1t is we'll known by all who have
the opportunity of being connected
with the public schools, that the pub
TIC school education causes us to for
get our relationship to the soil and
points to the farmer as being a man
without future. To allow such to
continue is a sad mistake and will no
doubt injure the child
The work in a city may be entirely
different from what it should be in a
rural district. In the city the main
ideas should be to combine moral and
physical training, to throw off the
class room restraints and to give the
child an opportunity to stretch its
limbs. To accomplish SUCH it should
be done through some form of manual
training, and there is no form better
than the school garden.
In the rural districts the point OF
view should not be to maintain com
mon methods used at home. The
mental strain does not exist in these
schools as in the city, because the
average country boy brings about the
equilibrium between the mental ant
physical functions, therefore it would
be wise to teach an elementary nrin
ciple of agriculture in such schools
and have a garden where it could be
conducted in a manner which would
eventually effect the industrial deyel
opment of this state.
No attempt heretofore has beer
made to present the methods for Thu
state in a written form and | hop
these chapters will help lead the wa,
to better things. Conditions existing
at San Antonio, Texas, have BEEF
constantly kept in mind in preparing
this work; therefore, what is sal
, will vary according to the locality.
The community system of garden
: ing is where the children take care 0
the garden in general. This systeI
does not strongly develop the idea Q
individual responsibility, and a DO
has a tendency to care little tor IN
plants which others have shared i
producing. This brings about lac
of interest and many boys will shlr
responsibility.
The individual system is Wher
each boy possesses a small plot
ground for a garden. Each boy pc
forms every operation of preparation
: planting and general care OF tn
4 plants grown in his garden. I'M
1 system furnishes a basis of valuabl
. knowledge and is superior TO an
system yet tested.