Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-10-21

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is no one subject that serves SO we'll
as an introduction to science study as
that of agriculture. Pure science may
appeal to few students through COM
polling curiosity as to its actual or pos
sible applications, but applied science,
if properly presented, at once compels
attention and appeals nightly to the
student at this age of adolescence.
am inclined to the impression that our
students would derive much advantage
if we had a six-year high school course
beginning with the seventh grade. This
would facilitate the extension of the
unit credit system, establish department
work, secure broader culture and pre-
pare for the widest possible range of
differentiated courses.
Individual differences begin to assert
themselves about the thirteenth year.
These differences continue to assert
themselves and these economic interests
and ambitions must be stimulated i'll
school, or the students seeks them i'll
the store, factory or other employment.
| firmly believe that general elementary
agriculture possesses the qualities that
appeal to the student and make more
effective the purposcd study of the re-
nlainder of the course. If this work
is not done in the seventh or eighth
grades, then it should be given to every
student i'll the high school as the first
year science conception. Let HE quote
from the Experiment Record, vol.
NNlll., on this point: so much of
agriculture as is embraced in a first
year science conception should be known
TO every student, boy or girl, i'll every
high school course as a matter of gen.
cra intelligence, information and cul-
ture. Though the high school girl be
destined to live her life in city home,
perhaps never to work with her own
hands, sanencss of educational ideal re-
quircs that she should at least know
the source materials of her daily bread
and means of shelter"
Every high school student (boy)
should be educated to know that there
exists close relationship between agri
culture and all other industries and vo-
cations. AT least one years work in
distinctive domestic science and house
hold economy for every girl should be
accompanied by this first years work
in general agriculture. Either line of
these industrial sciences could then be
Systematically developed from this intro
tluction for those who wished to elect
the distinctive agricultural or domestic
science courses, and with such motivcd
introduction the high school course in
general science could be economially,
nationally and pcdogogicaly presented in
the remaining years of the course" u.
S. Department of Agriculture.
The student who becomes interested
i'll agriculture as the great basic indus
trv here in North Dakota will acquire
a knowledge of geology, environment,
geography, botany, plan, physiology, BIZ
ology, forestry horticulture, history.
chemistry, arithmetic and similar sub
jccts, as they come under his personal
observation and frst-hand knowledge.
The problems in arithmetic which he
learns are based on transactions intense
ly interesting and familiar The gcog-
raphy is not of foreign countries, dis
tant states and unknown industries, but
geography as applied to the particular
community and the condition of the soil
as result of wcathering and decom-
position. His study of a handful Of
common soil at once carries him back
to its formation geology, back to its
composition and fcrtility--chen1stry,
back to its ability to produce strong.
vigorous plants, fungus resisting and
seed producng-botany. Then this
plant absorbs nutrimcnt from the soil
and air and passes this food by means
of saltwater to all parts of the plant
by gravity, osmosis capllarltv-pEyslc
Then this plant and its fruit or seed at
once becomes an article Of food to eth
er man or beast or both, and its use
may thus involve study of zoology, of
human physiology, of animal husbandry.
Then carry this analysis still further
and we have the production, transport
tation and general distribution of the
plant and its products, and we have the
various phases of commercialism. Thus
we readily see that no other subj ect
possesses so much or involves SO many
other subje inter-related and inter-
dependent Just from what avenue we
shall approach this sub ect of agrlcul-
ture, of which civilization is the ultl-
mate and logical product, remains to
be worked out. But one thing is GER
tain that with this broad viewpoint 4
student may be led to seek truth for
truths sake, but its commanding appeal
will make his work purposed and COM
plete.
We are on the verge of all education
al evolution. Enlightened thinkers arc
beginning to advocate as ideal cduca-
ton the sending IF the boy to all agri-
cultural school or college, where he fills
his mind with practical useful and SCI
cntifc knowledge of his future occupa-
ton. and at the same time to enable
him to employ his hands in the applica-
ton of such knowledge. If the boy
learns how to make two blades of grass
grow where but one grew before. he
will return to his home satisfied with
his occupation as one of the learned
professions" But for the girl, WELL she
must have knowledge of domestic art,
of domestic science, of home sanitation.
home economics, home decoration, the
care of children, home nursing, thera-
reutics. She must be taught how to
transform the drudger-- of the house
work, to love her duties as most sacred,
to get her sixteen years of training, but
above all to possess a willingness and
an Unsuitable desire to return to the
IL liz