The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-03-02
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FARM QUESTIONS.
A Suggestion for Study Of Arithmetic
for Farmers Children.

We wonder how many of the pupils
In our public schools when given a
question in mental arithmetic merely
memorize it; and whether they could
solve 1t II apples were substituted for
potatoes. Ex-Gov. Hoard told us a
funny story last year about one of his
own grandchildren who had failed on
simple question in mental arith-
metic, says Editor Wallace, in Wal
laces' Farmer. Upon his expressing
great surprise the youngster replied:
IF you had given me that in potatoes
instead of in apples l could have
done it,"
We wonder how many teachers in
rural schools frame questions of their
own on farm lines, so as to compel
the pupil to work them out by the
rules that should be applied to those
IN the book. We have a very vivid
recollection of being caught up that
way ourselves one time to our very
great humiliation, and the only excuse
we had to offer was: THAT question
was not in the book" The answer
that made our ears burn was: What
is the use Of studying sums in the
book If they don't teach you to do
sums outside of the book?"
AS an example of the questions
which any teacher may frame, and the
solution of which would compel pupils
TO think along farm lines, we quote the
following from an instruction bulletin
given out by the Pennsylvania Agri-
cultural college:
T. If six pecks of wheat are sown
on one acre, how much seed wheat
Will be required for a field 40 rods
long and 25 rods wide?
q If 16 four-inch tile are required
for rod, how many tile will be need
ed for a ditch a mile and a quarter
long?
3. The wagon and wheat weigh
$3.50 pounds. The wagon alone
weighs 1900 pounds. What is the
wheat worth at SO cents per bushel?
a. row of corn shocks takes up
a space twice the width of the space
between two rows of corn. The length
OF the space is 40 rods. How much
ground is occupied by the shock row?
IS. There are 210 rows of corn on
the long side Of field and 12O on
the short side. What will the cutting
cost at five cents for each shock ten
hills square?
.. AT $2S per ton for commercial
fertilizer, what will it cost to fertilize
field 40 by 60 rods if $50 pounds
are used on each acre?
u. One-half ton of lime per acre
was sowed on field 35 rods long and
"a rods wide. How many tons of lime
were used?
-. 1t costs u cents per bushel for
threshing oats and 21a cents for
wheat. What will The threshing of
1850 bushels of oats and $50 bushels
of wheat cost?
80. A field is half mile long and
quarter of mile wide; if 2A acres
are plowed each day, how many DAYS
Will be required to pillow it?
III. A man hauls at one trip 1880
pounds of milk to a cremery. What
does he receive at Is cents per hun
dred?"
Questions in connection with farm
business come up day by day. What
more profitable amusement could
there be in the evening than for the
father to have the boys and girls fig
ure them out for him? His expert
ence will be different from ours if the
farmer does not say: Tut, tut! Is
that all you can do in the way of fig
ures? What's the use in sending YOU
to school If you cannot do better
than that?"