Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-12-24

portion to the development in
nrc this is the fault of the farm
other lines. The country is prac-
tically the same today as it was
twenty years ago, with perhaps
a few exceptions. In great meas
er, though a mistake of the head
rather than the heart. We have
been 50 occupied, some of us, add
ing to our material possessions !;
some of us striving to meet our
obligations. that we have given
school little attention, beyond
keeping the children in school and
supplying the necessary material.
1t is only recently that agricul-
ture as life work has recei, ed
mach consideration 1t was re
garded as means, not an end
Parents were not content to work
the farm long enough to secure a
competence that would allow them
to move to town, or perhaps re
main on the farm to provide the
means to educate the sons and
daughters, that they might escape
the drudgery of the farm, forget
ting that the work is drudgery
only when it is work we do not
like to do, be it on the farm, in
the office, shop, or school But a
reaction has set in, new era has
begun. We realize that the farm
err as the main producer of wealth,
needs a special training quite az
much as a follower of a trade or
profession; that it takes skill to
make a success Of farming on high
priced land, and that to be pro-
ducer of fine crops and fine ami
mails is an object well worth as
piring to; and since a very small
percent of the farm boys ever go
to college, we must look to the
rural schools for their training.
With the country schools as
they now are, all we can hope to
do is to rouse the ambition of the
pupils and the patrons that they
may desire a better knowledge Of
agriculture; if this can be done,
fewer and better equipped schools
will follow. We have heard it said
that no child can be taught till it
has disposition to learn that is
also applicable of children of
larger growth, and rural schools
will be made of more practical
value to farm boys and girls when
the majority of farmers demand
it, and they will not demand till
they feel the need.
We believe neighborhood or
ganization would be an aid in cul-
tivating this disposition to learn
i'll the farmer Let the teacher. aid
ed by few of the most progress
sive farmers, form a club, the aim
of which shall be larger and bet
ter supply Of agricultural knowl-
edge. Persuade every man, wo-
man and child of the neighbor-
hood to be a member and partici-
pate in discussions of agricultural
problems. The best journals de-
voted to farming interests are do
ing an inestimable amount of
good in awakening men and wo-
men to their responsibilities and
opportunities as tillers of the soil.
If all would read, assimilate. and
then put into practice the infor-
nation these publications are dis
seminating an epoch Of remark
able progress would follow Would
it be amiss to compare the reading
element among the farmers to the
parable of the sower? He who
reads with the purpose of gaining
and applying knowledge would
represent the fertile soil on which
the seed fell and brought forth
abundantly; those who read IN
derstandingly but are not enter
prising enough to carry out the
ideas thus attained, would ,orre-
spond to the thin soil upon which
the seed fell, sprang up, but
straightway withered; lastly.
those who read uncomprehensive
or not at all suggest the wayside
upon which the seed fell and was
trodden upon or devoured by the
fowls of the air. We believe the
last two classes represent the ma
jOrity; they are satisfied with
present conditions, giving no
thought to improvement. 1t seems
probable that the neighborhood
club would be means of getting
this class in touch with up-to-date
ideas. Scientific feeding, improv-
ing plants and animals by selec-
ton, a study of noxious weeds
of the locality, and the best and
easiest way of Graduating them,
insect enemies, plant diseases.
lhoo1,4;fxy,1o 4Lo Lo.oo - I 4