The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-05-26

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At bottom, of course. the problsn
of agriculture is a problem of edu
cation, Just as ali problems that hav
to do with industry are problems 0
education. Learning how and wheI
to do things is part of education
Ijust as learning how to read an,
write is part OF education. 1t 4
worth while to emphasize the fac
that the learning of the schools is no
IAN OF education. He who teaches an
other to make bricks or to raise pc
tatoes is as truly teacher as tn,
man who teaches another to trans
late Latin verses; and it may be thai
he is more useful teacher.
The time has arrived when the
public schools must teach agrlcul.
ture-how much this paper does moi
venture to say; but they ought to
teach some agriculture. For years
the College of Agriculture has been
teaching some agriculture to COM
paratively small number of students.
Now the common schools are making
a beginning; and the state normal
school at Fairmont is making seri-
Gus effort to teach teachers TO teach
agriculture in the common schools.
But there seems to be something
wrong,in the way the problem is be-
ing attacked. The College of Agrl-
culture aims to do college work; but
where can the student get prepara-
ton for college agriculture?
The public school schould prepare
for life-for work in the industries.
arts, and professions, and incidental
ly 1t should prepare for higher
school. But, because it is elemen-
tary. the common school can teach
only the elements of agriculture
along with the elements of other sub
iects it must teach. There ought to
be chance for the farm boys and
others to receive instruction in ag-
ricul,urc of a higher grade; and to
say this. is to say that there ought
to be agricultural high schools
schools that will take the Young
people direct from the common
schools and teach them the princi-
pies of the art and the science OF ag-
riculture. and also give them real
practice in real farming. The COM
mon schools can not do this; neither
can the College of Agriculture: it is
distinctly a work for a school of in
termediate grade.
Other states have agricultural high
schools-Alabama and wisconsin,
for illustration. There are others
that might be named. West Virginia
is behind many of the states. Let
the fact be confessed without shame:
but not without shame two years
from now. The time is here to
make beginning. We have not re-
allied our need before; we do not
fully realize it now; but We have
reached a point where we ought to
be ready to provide at least one we'll
equipped agricultural school in West
Virginia, where the young men OF
the state who want training to fit
them TO be intelligent and successful
farmers can get it without first
spending four years in high school.
1t is assumed that an agricultural
college is a necessity and that our
College of Agriculture at Morgan
town is ooing good work and ought
to be more literally supported in
order that it may do more effective
college work-that it may continue
10 occupy a place of leadership by
setting the pace in agricultural edu-
cation and preparing men for leader
ship. But college is not a substt-
tute for a school, and it cannot be.
West Virginia needs an agricultural
high school trade school for far
Imers.
II may be that there ought to be
more than one agricultural high
school. Some states have one in
each congressional district. 1t has
been suggested that the Keyser pre-
,paratory school might be transform
ed into an agricultural high school;
and the suggestion may be a good
one. The Telegram would like 10
have one established in Harrison
county. which is central to a large
agricultural region of great import.
ance. 1t might be advisable to make
over one or more OF the normal
schools. We are not prepared to sa;
what is best: but now is the time tc
make definite beginning in the ef,
fort to solve the problem OF agricul
ture by means OF a school suited tc