Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-04-26
AGRICULTURE IN SCHOOLS.
Interesting Article on Teaching of
Farming i'm Country
Schools.

portion 10 the development OF the
country in other lines. The country
school is practically the same today
as 1t was twenty years ago, with
perhaps few exceptional cases. In
great measure this is the fault of
the farmer, though mistake of the
head rather than of the heart. We
have been so occupied some of us,
adding to our material possessions,
some of us striving to meet our obli-
cations, that We have given the
school little attention, beyond keep
ing the children at school and sup
plying, the necessary material. 1t is
only recently that agriculture as a
life work has received much con-
sideration. 1t was regarded as a
means, not an end. Parents were
content to work on the farm long
enough TO secure a competence that
would allow them to move to town,
or perhaps remained on the farm to
provide the means to educate the
sons and daughters, that they might
escape the drudgery of the farm, for
getting that work is drudgery only
when it is work we do not like to do,
let it be on the farm, in the office,
shop or school. But reaction has
set in, a new era has begun; we
realize that the farmer as the main
producer of wealth needs a special
training quite as much as a follower
of profession or a trade; that 1t
takes skill to make a success of
farming on high priced land; and
that to be producer of fine crops
and fine animals is an object well
worth aspiring to; and since a very
small per cent of the farm boys ever
go to college, we must look to the
rural schools for their training.
With the country schools as they
now are, all we can hope is to arouse
the ambition of the pupils and pat
rons that they may desire better
knowledge of agriculture; if this can
be done, fewer and better equipped
schools will follow. We have heard
it said that no child can be taught
till it has a disposition to learn
this is also applicable to children OF
a larger growth and rural schools
will be made of more practical value
to farm boys and girls when the
majority of farmers demand it; ant
they will not demand it till they fee
the need.
We believe neighborhood organi
zation would be an aid to cultivat
ing this disposition to learn in the
farmer. Let the teacher, aided by
few of the most progressive farm.
ers, form a club, the aim of which
shall be a larger and better supply
of agricultural knowledge. Persuade
every man, woman and child in the
neighborhood to be member ant
participate in discussions of agricul
tural problems. The best journals
devoted to farming interests are do
ing an inestimable amount of good
in awakening men and women tc
their responsibilities and opportuni-
ties as tillers of the soil. If all would
| criy Pot a nd M N r
practice the information these pub
locations are disseminating an epoch
of remarkable progress would follow
Would ii be amiss to compare the
reading element among farmers to
the parable of the sower? He who
reads with the purpose of gaining
and applying knowledge would rep
resent the fertile soil on which the
seed fell and brought forth album
dainty; those who read understand
| ingly, but are not enterprising
enough to carry out the ideas thus
gained, would correspond to the thin
soil upon which the seed fell, sprang
up, straightway withered; lastly,
those who read uncomprehensively
or not at all suggest the wayside. up
on which the seed fell and was trod-
den under or devoured by the fowls
of the air. We believe the last two
classes represent a majority, they
are satisfied with present conditions.
giving no thought to Improvement.
1t seems probable that the neighbor-
hood club would be means of getl
ting this class in touch with. up-to-
date ideas. Scientific feeding, inn
proving plants and animals by selec-
ton, "a study of the noxious weeds
of the locality, and the best and
easiest way of eradicating them, in
sect enemies, plant diseases, beauti-
lying the homestead, and farm SAM
tation are a few of the topics on
which the average farmer has every
thing to learn. Books on these sub
jects and articles taken from relia-
- - 90