Morris tribune., 1910-01-07
FARM EDUCATION
IN HIGH SCHOOLS
EXPERIMENTS MADE. IN
TEN SCHOOLS.
How Some of the Schools are
Using the Money Which They
Obtained from the State to
Establish Agricultural De-
partments-East Grand Forks
a Disgrace to Minnesota.

a Disgrace to Minnesota.
St. Paul, Jan. 5.-There are signs
everywhere which indicate the popu-
lar interest taken in the movement
looking towards the introduction of
agricultural instruction, manual train
ing and instruction in household econ
omics in our public schools. The
movement has received an impetus as
a result of the passage by the legis-
lature of the so-called Putnam bill
which appropriated $4,000 year for
the establishment and maintenance of
departments of agriculture, manual
training and domestic economy in ten
State high, graded or consolidated
schools. In the preparation of this
bill the State high school board COLA
borated with Senator Putnam, so that
although he very properly has the
credit of securing its passage, the law
makes provision for the establish
ment of this description of agricultural
schools is considered by the education
department best suited to the needs
of the State.
The law provides that each of the
ten schools established shall employ
trained instructors in agriculture, man
ual training and domestic science--in-
Guiding cooking and sewing have
connected Herewith tract of land
suitable for school garden and pur-
poses of experiment and domonstra-
tion containing not less than five acres.
instruction in the industrial depart
ment is free to all residents of this
State. Where necessary to accommo-
date reasonable number of boys and
girls able to attend only in the winter
months, special classes shall be form
ed for them. The agricultural depart
ment is required to offer instruction
in soils; crops; fertilizers; drainage;
farm machinery; farm building;
breeds of livestock; stock judging; an,
imal diseases and remedies; produc-
ton, testing and handling milk and
cream; the manufacture of butter and
cheese; the growth of fruit and ber-
ries; management of orchards; market
garden and vegetable crops; insects
Injurious to the various plants; dis
ease of plants; animal nutrition, in
cluding the use of forage crops; cereal
grains; fine seeds; bookkeeping, and
farm accounts; and all other matters
pertaining to general farm practice.
The popular response to the law
thus enacted was at once seen in the
number of schools that applied to be
one of the ten for which provision was
made. 1t should be said that each
was to have an appropriation of
$4,000 to carry on the new work.
From the number which applied the
high school board selected ten schools
in which to try the experiment of Civ
ing practical instruction in industrial
branches. Whether or not the move
ment will become general will largely
depend on the character of the work
they are doing and the popular appre-
citation of that work. In this view the
work these ten schools are doing be-
comes matter of State wide import
ance.
The ten schools selected by the high
school board are located at the fol-
lowing places: Albert Lea, Alexan-
dria, Candy, Cokato, Glencoe, Hinck-
ley, Lewiston, Mcintosh, Red Wing
and Wells. With the exception of the
school at LIE wiston, which is a consol-
idated graded school, all the schools
mentioned above are State high
schools.
These schools have all complied
with the provisions of the law and for
each a teacher of agriculture, a man
ual director and teacher of domestic
science has been engaged. They are
now at work. What they will accom-
plish only the future can say. What
they are trying to do is indicated by
their courses of instruction and other
bulletins. The special announcement
issued by the high school at Glencoe
is before me and outlines the work
now being done there. The agricul-
tural short course for young men is
of special interest. 1t began Nov. 1.