The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-04-09

| Interest in educational matters main
tains a steady and healthy growth
among our people Of both races. The
introduction of agriculture into the
schools has greatly stimulated this
sentiment, more especially in the rural
districts, for this subject appeals to
the home life of our farming people
more directly than any of the other
studies.
Nature has endowed our county with
good soil and climate, and it is of
the utmost Importance that we en-
courage the rising generation to make
the best use of these natural advanta-
ges by an intelligent knowledge Of
agricultural principles.
Thomas Jefferson said that "the ma
TONS hopes must always lie in its
tiIlers of the SOIL" and the basic prin-
cipIe of his entire plan of govern
ment by and for the people was to
provide for the greatest good to the
greatest number. Considering the ad-
ministration of the public school sys-
tenn from this standpoint, the farmers
are evidently entitled to more benefits
of other occupations.
The County High School.
I consider this Institution of great
Importance, inasmuch as it gives the
youth of our land the opportunity to
carry on their education when they
have passed through the grammar
school, some to enter the higher
grades to prepare for the. University
or the College, but to many of them
the high school is the end of the
scholastic career and after that comes
the sterner duties of life.
1t behooves US, therefore, to study
carefully the curriculum of these
schools and so order it that it will be
productive of ''the greatest good to the
greatest number"
Conditions in our State require a
change in the high school as now car
ried on, by paying more attention TO
the agricultural branches and manu-
al training Florida is principally an
agricultural state, the majority of the
young men and women growing UP
among us will be farmers and far
mers' wives; agriculture is the noblest
employment of man." and it is from
country homes-from farmers homes
that the foremost leaders of men
have come; look for the brainest men
in every walk of life, and in nine cases
out of ten they were country born and
bred Such being the case, attention
should be especially directed toward
providing in our grammar and high
schools for such instruction as viii
have bearing on farm life. Cbemis-
try should be carefully taught, agri-
cultural chemistry that will teach the
component parts of the soil, how to
supply the elements necessary for
plant life when they are lacking, how
to utilize the material that lies around
us to the best advantage. how chemi-
cally to combine foods to furnish
Drawn and muscle while they please
the palate, and how by strict attention
to sanitation, health, that priceless
blessing, can be had.
Sufficient manual training should be
given to enable the farmer to con-
struct and repair his farm buildings
and keep his implements and machin-
cry in good order; while the girls
should be given the advantage of Il
we'll equipped Department of Domestic
Science to train these future farmers
wives for the proper performance OF
their household duties.
Botany, too, should be taught, that
the farmer and his family may know
their friends from their foes in plant
life and may have a knowledge of the
laws and principles governing the
growth around them. A short course
in entomology, too. would be well; in
fact, series of nature studies Of bird
life and of the animal kingdom; for
some despised insects are the far
mers' friends, and fewer birds would
be killed If the farmer realized the
good they do him by destroying the
harmful and noxious insects.
1 think a stereopticon, with slides
representing the marvels Of plant and
of insect life; other slides represent
ing some of the wonders Of physiology
and the evil effects of alcohol. opium
and tobacco on the human system, and
such other subjects as may be deemed
desirable, would be a great source of
information to the students. Each
County Board could equip It's high
school with such an outfit and it could
at times be carried to other points
in the county, so that children in other