Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-22
Census of 1920 Will Show.

schools of the south. although the negro
child Is not yet getting Its share.
me total amount expended for all free
public schools in eleven southern states
during the year 1908 was 32,O6S ISL, OF
which only 81, 736,375. or 14.8 per cent OF
the total. was devoted to schools for
colored children. while So. 1874. 478. or S.
per cent. was devoted to schools for
white children, although the negro chill
dren number AL per cent OF the school
population. This. however. will doubtless
be corrected sooner or later
New Schools Slated. s.
One Of the most important results Of
this educational crusade is the establish
ment OF agricultural and Industrial
schools throughout the south. Tod AZ
every state south Of the Potomac and
Ohio rivers recognizes the practicability
OF agricultural education and manual
training and appropriatets money for
those purposes.
But the south has been far behind in
know that the states that have been
farthest behind are picking up most
rapidly. Laws have been passed by al
most every southern legislature requiring
that the elements of agriculture stall be
taught In the primary schools, and es-
tablishing agricultural high schools where
the farmers sons can obtain q knowledge
of simple sciences for everyday use upon
the farm.
Agricultural training has that added to
the usual courses in the normal schools in
order that the teachers may carry out the
intention of these laws; agricultural SUBJ
jects are part Of the program at every
teachers institute; while the state uni
versities without exception added agri-
cultural departments to their faculties.
Prejudice Is Overcome.
In order to appreciate the Importance
Of these innovations one should know the
prejudice that existed until recently in
the south against the application of
''book learning to the cultivation of the
soil. When DR.. Arthur s. Knapp Of the
Department of Agriculture, In charge of
experiments stations is the south, first
undertook practical demonstrations to
show the farmers how they could raise
more cotton and more corn with the same
seed and the same labor, he was require j
to give a guaranty that no loss should
result from the experiment in order to
persuade intelligent farmers to permit
their land to he used in cultivatinE a
few acres in the proper way under the
direction of government agents.
That was only few years ago. II
Is unnecessary to say that the guaranty
was never called for
From that beginning has grown a
movement for the practical education OF
south who no longer object to "scien.
tif1c' methods. and have learned that
lit pays to know how.
The same prejudice against agricul.
tural schools has been removed by
demonstrating that boys and girls car
learn how to get better results from the
farm with the same labor: how to pillow
and how to hoe and plant and reap and
trim the orchard with greater skill; anG
how the grl can cook and sew and keer
poultry yard and dairy better because
she has been to school.
The results of the educational crusad,
have been felt n hundreds Of thousand.
o. households. as we'll hundreds o.
thousands of farms. The boards of ed
ucation in the counties and states are in
Producing methods that are taught by tn,
general government in the primar,
schools. and are starting high schools a
which not only agriculture but all kinds
of trades. and bookkeeping. stenoSraphy
typewriting, are taught to 10th woIner
aud men. because throughout the south
there has been a change in public senti
ment as to the propriety Of young white
women working for their living in Offices