The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-12

fat was made and explained -
plication was then made g., +l-
spectlve milk cows, with q View. -
termining whether or nor ~. "-
paying for their feed. or v-b.., "'fr
would be best to turn them ~. II
cattle. '
In one of h schools We a..
prize essay read on Farm -.
! Why I Like It. In another w.. "a
a simple little composition o~ ."
Oak Tree" The children aro
stantlv led to think and vrf-.
their everyday life and experfan--
the farm and in the countrl-
way their language and ror,-..
work is related to country life ~.
perience.
Let me recapitulatC briefly tI....
able and practical suggestions a.--.
from my observation II stud. 49,,
work of the rural schools uf
count, Iowa.
1. They are real rural schools
city schools in the country. Thu .
been made such by the creation
farm life atmosphere in the ..u..t
room, by bringing into he s....t
room pictures, charts. bulletins ...
lectlons Of the best farm products I.
cOrrelating SO far as possible tn. ..-
struction in arithmetic, readine lane
guage n composition with thtrgs
pertaining to farming and rural life
by Introducing simple, practical 5--
structiOn about farm-life and triro~
pertaining thereto which the child
can take home and apply in his pverv-
day life, by bringing into the srluo.
room from the farm, through The
farmers and the children, the Ines,
knowledge about farming and farm
life.
?. Children surrounded by such an
a Yn0SDhQra with c11ab irSYy.-.Er
during the most formative and i'm
pressible period of their school iir-
cannot fail to have their interest," i'll
il stimulated, their owe for il in
creased, their desire to live it ana
excel in it awakened, their coneep-
ton of its dignity, its necessity. it's
profit and its pleasures enlarged. The
dominant thought in the school room
was farm life; the school was. Ihere-
fore, educating these children toward
farm life and preparing them for IT,
instead Of educating them away from
1t and uniting them for it.
3. The mean adopted for the crra-
alton OF such an atmosphere and the
instruction given in these schools ARE
so simple and practical as to he Of
easy application III the rural school,
Of the South, ever by teachers with
out special agricultural training. None
of the teachers in these Page rouUty
SCHOOLS naO received alV SDGaf4l arr
cultural training.
4. The dominant. directine. vitala-
ing force in all the work Of these
schools was a county superinttnlont
fitted in scholarship, special training
and practical experience for Der work.
consecrated to that work, deIotlng
all of her time, thought, attention and
energy to it, endowed with i rare
power Of leadership and q fine Gift
OF inspiring others. What an object
lesson in efficient supervision!
5. The rne and their wives
realizing that their schools were iarm
life schools, that their children We're
Interested and were interesting them 10
the everyday life and problems Of th4
country and the farm, inevitably felt
and showed an interest and pride IN
the school that made it easier to $50
cure cooperation between the school
and h home and to obtain tI,
financial support necessary to make
the school what it ought to be. Noa.
and their wives, patrons u-
the school, We're present at every
schooi that we visited and manifested
pride and interest that were bcauti..|
and inspiring.
3. The interest Of the children i1
agriculture and farm life was slim
uiated by township AND county boys
corn clubs, by prize contests drt,r-
ihlieu ana awarded III annual t"N I-
snip and county exhibits. Tbr N-
rectlon of these corn clubs and nuft-
tests and the instruction given
tffough them were q part Of the Ct-
tension work Of the agricultural ro'-
lege of Iowa. Members Of thu fag-
ulty Of this college attended these
contests and gave personal instruction
TO the boys. What an object lesson
Tor emulation in making the college
serve and stimulate the whole pe,.l.'