Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-07-14
TEACHING OF AGRICULTURE
Prof. Hills Says It Should BE In
PRODUCED in Secondary Schools.
Children Should be Taught to Think
IN Tcrmn ~ the Farm instead Of
Terms Of the City-The Lyn-
dOnville school.

Prof. J. L. Hills, dean Of the depart
ment Of agriculture OF the University or
Vermont, was the speaker under the aus
pces Of the summer school in the lecture
,all Of the Williams Science hail Tuesday
evening. Professor Hills spoke upon
"rducation by Means Of Agriculture" The
lecture was directed primarily to the
teachers who were present, but matters
Of national interest. such as the move
ment TO teach agriculture in the second
sry schools we're discussed.
In opening. Professor Hills said that he
took his text from recent addresses by
President Eliot and William McAndrew.
principal of the Washington Irving high
school Of New York. both of whom had
made strorR pleas for the teaching of vo-
cational subjects in the secondary
schools. Ie quoted President Eliot. when
he said that in his opinion. boy at
reaching the seventh grade should he de-
sided upon what course he was TO pursue.
whethe, he was going to college or not.
and th,t he should shape his studies and
work With that end In view.
The speaker then passed to the justin
cation of teaching agriculture in the high
schoos and used as an argument the ma
t10nd Importance OF Il knOWleuSe vi tIle
subject. He spoke OF the manner in
when the great institutions Of learning
wer- recognizing this and said that he
UNDERSTOOD upon good authority that
President Taft had upon his calendar as
one of the most important bills to come
hebre Congress. one endowing secondary
schools with funds to enable them to
tale up studies along practical lines. He
t,-ther emphasized the importance of the
teaching Of agriculture by showing the
,art t. played in the conservation of ma
'ural resources, giving as examples the
and ~ Palestine. which was now n desert
but which had once been "A fertile coun-
try He also gave illustrations Of places
In the South where poor farming had
transformed a fertile country into little
better than desert Starvation would
he the result Of such a course.
The speaker showed that he was not
an enemy t. the classics and frankly adj
mtted that in his opinion the teaching Of
agriculture and similar subjects lacked
ONE of the disciplinary value Of the form
err ITe then passed to the great advant-
ages of vocational study There are ut
present 5000. o01 school children in the
United States, of whom 9rD.o0A live in
the country. OF the latter Only three per
cent. go to college. the other o. per cent
passing directly into their vocatons. At
present. the work in the schools is d.
rected almost wholly 10 fitting the boy
for college while the vast ma iority is
given practically no training for life
work. This made strong leaders but
Hid not raise the average quality of
citizenship.
instead of these tactics, the speaker
advocated education by means Of agri-
culture in the country districts. The
children should be taught to think in
terms Of the farm, instead of terms OF
the city, as at present. Simple expert
merts in agriculture should ne given
them, and he gave several which could
easily be used. In this manner the farm
boy would be brought into closed SYM
patty with his surroundings and have
a better understanding of them. Systems
OF accounting, at present rarely prac-
tised in spite OF their value. in the farm
ing communities should be taught, and
innovations along similar lines made
Prof. HIS then gave a description of
the work planned by the school to De
founded in Lyndonvile, for the teac hing
OF agriculture. and said that already ap-
plcations for the admission of twice the
number which could he accommodated
mad been made. lie predicted a great