The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-06-07
FARM SCHOOLS NEEDED
Assistant Secretary Hays Says Agrl-
culture is Tagging

NbiNNl = - NSS''S
Wllett NJ. Hayes, assistant seere- |
tary of the United States department
of agriculture told the Northern Min
nesota Development association in
session at Crookston. Mimi, last
week that the world is looking on
while we farmers plod along in our
unorganized unsystematic, half heart
ed way and the world believes that
were our people broader and better
trained we could produce much better
yields than we do; and are forced to
admit" he added, that the world is
right.
Whether our activity be religious,
social, political or economic he con
tinued, we are on a 10 bushel basis
with 25-bushel opportunity. The
\ blood Of our people the hereditary po-
tencies of our wheats and the produc-
tive potentiality of our soil and eli
mate warrant a rapid increase of
wheat yields up to % bushels per
acre and of other farm products in
proportion; and even more rapid
should be the growth of intelligence,
home living and social advancement
generally"
The cure for these larger troubles
in agricultural life is in the school
system. according to Mr.. Hayes. He
proceeded to describe in detail the
system which, in his opinion, would
bring order out Of the present chaos
in the organization of country life. He
declared that, except in isolated cases
where the broader method was not
practicable, the old fashioned one
room school house should give way
to the consolidated school. The lat
ter would provide recommendations for
students within the surrounding five
or six square miles. II would contain
| three or four rooms for an elementary
school. one for the high school class
es and a large room for laboratory
| and practice work and for the vocat-
ional studies.
THE typical consolidated rural
school," continued Mr. Hayes, will
have a ten acre school farm. In this
northwest country half Of the farm
will be developed for a combined
campus and farrmstead. In a timber
belt on part OF the farm experiments
will be conducted with forest trees
in plot mixtures which help to solve
the tree problem for groves to pro
tect our farm homes.
| within this protected area will be
| Fairgrounds for the students; and II
| will contain ornamental trees, shrubs
| and flowers, fruits and vegetables and
| beautiful grass lawns. There will be
| cottage for the principal of the
school The other FIVE acres will be
devoted to field crops Crop rotat
ions will be demonstrated here. Meth
DDS of cultivation will be taught
| New varieties Of grains, grasses ant
| other varieties of plants will be test
ed. as also small fruit, shrubs anC
fruit trees
| The speaker advocated that farm
boys and girls during their teeni
spend six months in school and sil
at home on the farm each year.
, Under this plan," he said, 9TH,
: consolidated rural school will have /
full attendance during the six winte
= months. The children in the frs
I six or eight grades would start earl
Ter In the autumn and remain II
school later in the spring. Unde
- this plan the pupils who are oil
enough to help on the farm not onl
would assist in solving the labor prob
lem but during their years OF youtl
when they can learn rapidly, woul
gain the knowledge and the habits o
the farmer and the farm homemakei
They would require one. two or pos
sibly three years longer to finish thei
high school course.
THE last two or three winters the
could spend In an agricultural hig
school. such as that here at Crook!
ton And along with their SCHOOLING
they will have served a thorough-gC
ing vocational apprenticeship. The
would be far more thoroughly educ,
ted than those youths who now &
to school almost continuously unit
they are through the high schoC
course.
Il wish to express my gratitude
said Mr.. Hays in conclusion, 9TH,
Minnesota is not adopting the marrow
or plan OF one county agriculture
high school In each county, with onl
the oneroOm district schools for n
education of the great bulk OF thos
who are TO manage our farms an
\ farm homes