The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-28
Urges Teaching Of Agriculture
and Manual Training in Grades

essay given by the North Dakota State
Bankers association, as announced In
The Forum Monday evening:
One of the most perplexinR problems
which confronts the graduate as com
mencement draws near is the problem
Of selecting subject for essay, Grafton
or whatever else his composition may
be called
The title Of the subject have select
ed Is not original on my part but is one
suggested by the state bankers asso-
citation for which cash prizes amount
Ing to fifty dollars are offered for the
best productions.
The subject as worded by the assoc
citation is, What Course of Study VIII
Give the Best Practical Results for the
IS per cent Of Students in Our Public
Schools Who Never Pass the Eighth
Grade?
The fact that such subject is chos-
en- by an organization composed OF
such practical business men as the
North Dakota bankers suggests two
First: 1t suggests that the present
course as pursued by the grade stu
dent is inadequate and itnpra ctical.
Second: 1t suggests that the asso-
citation must be composed OF public
spirited men who take an interest in
education and the upbuilding of the
state and nation.
Let US consider the first suggestion.
Is the present course inadequate?
When the student leaves school
whether by choice or necessity ana
goes out into the world he must Join the
ranks Of the worlds producers. He
must choose q profession, a trade or q
mere occupation, The student whom
fate or circumstances has turned out
OF school without the advantage OF a
high school training is limited in his
choice. 1t is nearly IL not entirely
beyond his ability to enter the o-calleo
learned professions. Let us take for
example the profession of law.
A man to qualify for successful and
competent lawyer, must first have lain
sound academic foundation upon
which to build the knowledge of his
profession, He must have a thorough
knowledge of the English language so
that he may properly construe the writ.
ten laws under which he practices. He
must have acquired the art of public
speaking which may alone be gained
through the knowledge of English and
literature, and studying of the worlds
masterpieces OF orations and compost.
tions, which are not to be had to such
an extent in the grades. Besides this
he must have broad general knowl-
edge of facts and figures, SO that he
will readily understand all questions
1taI. ~, NJ.
must have a logical mind which is not
generally a natural gift, but lie the
art of o-atory and public speaking can
only be acquired by long and thorough
training.
The report of the American Bar as
ISOLATION for 1904 says: ''It Is evident
that the opinion of those most com >
petent to know is largely to the effect
that a mere high school training can
not be regarded as adequate prepare :.
ton for, the stuGy of law"
Senator Beyeridge says IF possible
get a thorough college education be-
fore you open a law book" 4
From these facts it is evident that
few If any OF our grade students cal.
successfully enter the profession Of
law. And what Is true OF law is to a
greater or less extent true Of the learn
ed professions OF medicine, engineering,
teaching, etc.
The grade student, then being bar,
red from the so-called learned profes.
sions must choose from what we are
in the habit Of calling trades and oc-
cupations
North Dakota Agricultural State.
Nature has determined what shah
be- the occupation OF the vast majority
OF the population Of our state. We
have no potential Pittsburgs and we
may just as well open our eyes to the
fact, that North Dakota does not prom
Use any great possibilities as a manu>
featuring state Nature has, however,
given us q broad fertile prairie, con-
sequently, agriculture and the kindred
arts engage the attention of the major
ity of the coming generations.
This being true, let us consider
whether or not the present grade course
is inadequate and impractical. BY a
careful consideration OF the same
everyone must agree as to what seems
to be the purpose Of it. They must
invariably conclude that 1t is planned
as a preparatory department to the
high school. But since eighty-f1ve out
Of every hundred grade students never
go beyond the eighth grade, the course
Is apparently planned In the interests
Of the remaining fifteen rather than
the eighty-flve.
There is a great deal said at the
present time about the boy and girl
leaving the farm. In fact 1t Is quoted
as being one Of the causes of the pres
snt high cost of living, that the major
Ity are leaving the farm and shifting
the burden OF production of farm pro-
ducts upon the few. The question ma
turally arises, why do they leave the
farm? This think will be easily an
swered when we consider how little
they know about the science of Agri-
culture and its kindred pursuits.
The science OF agriculture and it's |
xindred arts are, to the average boy
md girl, as a sort of lottery box in |
which each one puts his number and |
then nature juggles them. and when
hey are drawn out It is only the lucky
who are favored with success. Is II |
any wonder that the boys and girls
eave the farm when this is the view
hat they take oflthe subject?
How to Handle the Soil.
The boy should know a few things
about why crops grow, and how to
obtain the greatest returns from the |
soiI and yet not exhaust the soil He |
should know the elements contained |
ii the soil, what each crop takes from |
he soil and how to restore it. He
should know the weeds and insects /
which obstruct plant growth, and how
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