Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-06
prof. Stewart OF State Normal
So Argues at Wash
ington.
COLLEGES SHOULD ALL HELP.
Urges Cooperation Between the Asri-
cultural and Normal Schools Tor
The Public Good.

7, tho discussion at Washington,
r, = mon the question Of cooper
alton OF state agricultural colleges and
state normal schools in the prepara-
zion ~ teachers for agricultural edu-
o.t,on Prof. william NJ. Stewart OF
,,A trtah state Normal addressed the
v,,ner,ntendcncc section of the Ma
t,cpai Educational association He
said:
The primary need for the successful
coaching Of agriculture Is competent
teachers. Neither the agricultural
college nor the normal school can
alone adequately prepare teachers Tor
lying scientific instruction in agri-
suliure i'm the common schools
This statement is made In view Of
Two main considerations; Cd The diff
,,cultv and newness Of agriculture as
a subject of school study; CD Tho
fact that the teaching OF agriculture
i REQUIRES the services OF better
trained teacher--academicaliy AND
better trained in psychology, peda-
90. and lnethods-than does the
foeching Of eny of the subjects now
included in the school curriculum.
WHY DIFFICULT TO TEACH.
Tho teaching of agriculture en-
braces the whole of the teachers art.
1t is a pervasive and eNactin9 sun
1ect. II embJdies the most important
aspects of character building; for IN
teaching the pupils scientifically TO
4 nlant cultivate and harvest, farm
crops. aud as a community to be re-
sponsible for the proper care of Il
school garden, we are training them
I'm some of the most valuable lessons
III life. Honesty is here not merely
incucated, hut IL put into actual OPP
Grafton. Industry Is not here en-
plained AMI commended, but is re-
allied There is no doubt, In such
case, OF the worth and the necessity
OF Industry. regularity. etc, for their
effects are apparent in the pre- lct.
'rhe sIra' lessCnr of civic righteous
ness and personal honor stand out III
bold relief just as soon as a school
engages In cooperative work connect
ed with the real activities of life. The
special difficulty In teaching asricul-
ttre arises from the fact that the
subject consists practically of almost
every other subject taught in the
schools 1t implies botany. zoology
chemistry, physics. physiology, geoi-
oey, meterology; 1t is reading IAN
guage, geography, arithmetic, 1t is
ranual training and domestic science
W
all these subjects that pedagoSicai
knowledge of the entire curriculum
is necessary in order to enable the
teacher to successfully teach grateful
ture in the public schools. 1t is alsp
commerce, business and transporta-
ton. A teacher cannot merely learn
agriculture and then teach 1t. He
must learn the pedagogy of all the
branches upon which it depends ana
with which II is so vitality connected.
Unless teacher has been specially
trained In agriculture. he VIII iail 10
realize the practical or vocational val
ne Of the school garden. Ihe great
i masses Of the people are and ever
i viii he producers of commodities. the
sfhool garden. nature laboratory me-
cessarv to every school. is the most
i conyenient. certain and attractive
4 form known for the creation OF pro-
4 duets for sale by school pupils. Each
i chnd coming from the public schools
should have acquired something III
the way OF an occupation that ne can
lo weI Simple branches Of horti-
culture are easily within his reach.
since they require only methoaicaI
application and not high degree OF
either hand skill or mental training
and balance. The vocational value
Of agriculture, domestic science, etc.
therefore. give to the child some pre-
paratiOn of real merit Wnlcu VIII w
much to prepare him for life. But
this work has more than vocationnl
value: even the city teacher should
be thus trained. Life in the city II
50 artificial that to have the city
schools do some of The nature work
and garden practise will do much to-
wards preventing the city boy or girl
fiom becoming formally bookish ana
impractical. More than the country.
the city needs the school garden and
the elements OF agriculture. for IL may
happen that the talent OF the city
child is for agriculture. If so, this
kind Of training win find out his tai
ents and instincts as well as train
them. Why should not the city boy
be- permitted to 20 To the country
IL he So desires. as well as the country
hoy To the city? Besides the open
air exercise. the muscular and mental
activity, and the change from school
routine to the varied motor activities
Of the garden, all conduce to make
ms form of training one of the best,
not only from the educational but
from the hvglenic standpoint ever
undertaken In the schools.
TT CAN BE DONE.
or course the great question remains
Is II practicable? Can IT be done?
can teachers be so trained and can