Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-05

not skimp the classes in agriculture for
the farm boys, and the shop work for the
town boys. nor the laboratory and practice
rooms and kitchens for those who are to
be the wives Of our productive workers
and the mothers Of tine next generation
of our American citizens. is emphasized as
Iever before. And college work, ex-
tension work, continuation schools,
the classes for mothers, alsor the
research designed to place the claim
industries and the keeping of homes on a
scientific basis, nave no more effective
champion than tho subject of this sketch.
School System of Future.
Mr.. Hays sees the little rural school
Of such glorious and blessed memory pass
away with the spinning wheel and the
grain cradle. He sees in its place the con-
ISOLATED rural and village school to and
from which the farm youth are transported
mainly in school wagons. These schools
can supply far stronger work tha now
in the studies common to all schools and
in addition studies in agriculture and home
making. Above the local schools are high
schools splendidly combining the technical
and the vocational school subjects, some
of them veritable colleges of the people.
splendidly equipped TO teach agriculture,
thus to supply the closingca vocational
courses for those who returK from the
secondary school TO the Farm or to teach
the rural school. The state normal schools
and the state colleges of agriculture and
mechanic arts stand at the top of the
system.
There is inspiration in figures. OF 100000
rural school pupils this educator estimates
that 100000 live in rural communities
where there is sufficient wealth to sup
port the large consolidation rural and
village school with an instructor in agri-
culture and another in home-making IN
each school. The other 100000 live in
communities too isolated or sparsely set
tied to make it practicable to nave the
consolidated rural school with it's wagons
with which to transport the pupils to and
from school, but win adhere to the little
district school.
Thirty thousand teachers Of agriculture
and $1,000 teachers Of home science and art
living in daily communication through the
active children with 100000 farms and
farm homes,-think of the speedy evolu-
ton of the countryside. What a field
Of work for GO,OOO teachers trained in
hundreds OF high schools highly equipped
to teach farm subjects. and 200 state col
leges OF agriculture and state normal
schools, each with its department OF agrl-
CULTURAL NuuNaAyus
Army of Trained workers.
A noble body OF trained farmers and
model hOme-maker would be sent back
to school districts by agricultural high
schools, like those OF Minnesota and
Georgia, equipped to accommodate with a
h~igh-grade secondary school course 200, 900
American farm boys and girls. What an
inspiration 500, 900 farm boys and girls
would carry to the farm homes from fifty
agricultural colleges. hundreds Of agricul-
tural high schools, and 5000 consolidated
rural ana village schoolsl A vast body Of
new knowledge OF new strains OF plants,
and OF new families OF highly efficient
pure-bred animals would spring from the
fifty experiment station farms at the
state college. 400 branch station farms, and
5000 ten-aors farms in connection with
the consolidated rural schools.
But not the least interesting are the
fact developed In Mr.. Hays Investigations
upon which he bases his vision Of the
educational riches In store for the farm
boys and girls. The fifty agricultural coll
leges OF the respective states and terri
tories; the agricultural high school which
he and others have developed in the uni
Yersity Of Minnesota and its brood Of
No or fifty progeny ia several states north
and south; and the COO consolidated rural
schools In Ohio. Indiana. Florida. and other
states have forecast the entire future
scheme These latter schools are 20 sue