The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-19

LlCultuTdl SOCiety Wdo hSiu CuSuiod
afternoon at the court house.
President Stevens occupied the
chair.
Walter Ratliff gave the report as
delegate to the State Board Of Agricui-
ture recently held in Indianapolis,
which was accepted. In it. the finan-
cial status of the Fair board was CIV
en-, together with the work undertake
en- in the Several departments.
The report of the Executive Com
mittee on the program for the year
including the names of the members
Of the various committees, was read
and adopted. In the presidents In
augural address, Mr.. Stevens gave the
society one of his ablest efforts. He
has served as chairman Of this society
for about twenty years in most
manner.
Under the subject of Agriculture,
Caleb King. Thomas Elleman. Stephen
kuth and others referred to the pres
ent good condition Of growing wheat
and to the large amount Of inferior
late fall and early winter. Thousands
Of bushels have not kept we'll that
were placed in too tight barns and
cribs. This can not be fed to any ad-
to live stock on the farms.
Reference was made by the presi-
dent to the season at gathering time.
and subsequently. as unfavorable to
ripening before gathering and in cur
ing when placed in bins.
Condition Of Fruit.
Many individuals at present are
much interested in the fruit situation,
and were pleased to hear Nathan Gar.
wood, the chairman Of the Fruit COM
mittee, say, that SO far the fruit buds
are safe. Recent warm weather has
swelled the fruit buds considerably.
but not sufficiently to endanger them
from any cold snap that might follow.
Should they advance much farther,
danger for their safety is feared.
Caleb King and others referred to
of fruit trees and the pres
ence of the dreaded scale insect. Sys'
tematic and thorough spraying with
some strong poisonous solution was
The black knot on the
plum trees has nearly obliterated
some of our old standard varieties OF
plums, and plum fanciers find much
difficulty in getting fruit men suffi'
interested in planting new
plum orchards.
Presidents Address.
In the early educational history OF
This country, when the forests cover
ed large portion of the land. when
people lived in log houses, built with
their own hands, and the school hous.
es were constructed in the same man.
ner, the boys and girls grew to be
men and women of great character
md strong personality. Although the
strictly mental training of this time
was confined to short hours. The
manual training received in clearing
he forests, building houses. making
farms. as well as the tools and nipple.
ments to work them, called forth the
best efforts and developed elements of
success. But the pioneer period is
past, the land has been cleared, the
Gated. Building and manufacturing
are now done by trained mechanics,
farm work is done mainly by machin-
cry. And there is comparatively lit
lie for the boy or girl to do, little at
least to call forth energy, develop OBJ
servation or mature judgment. What
we need in addition to the mental
given at the school of our
times, is the force and skill developed
by the manual training of our fathers.
or industrial training is fast
becoming popular adjunct to our
city schools, and Is helping to solve
the problem of what to do with the
city boy. II something's similar was
into our country schools
II would be equally helpful in solving
the problem of what to do with the
boy and girl in the country.
Our country schools are being grad
ed, and In many rural townships high
schools have been established. 1t is
here that | especially urge the intro
luction of of study and training in
The necessary land for
such purposes could be easily secured
and the necessary tools and applian.
ccs would be comparatively inexpen-
sive. The cultivation of flowers and
shrubs and trees, min
ature model kitchen or vegetable gar
den and small plantations Of fruit
could be easily undertaken. The op-
Grafton OF propogating plants by seeds
cuttings. grating. budding. the collec-
ton and study of weeds. and of the
more common injurious and beneficial
insects, together with the best rene
dies, a thorough acquaintance with
our native forest trees and shrubs,
our common birds and grasses. All
this might be accomplished and
could not fail to arouse interest and
develop taste for scientific thought
and investigation.
In addition to the direct practical
value of such training it would cult
vate the children's aesthetic faculties,
and develop an appreciation Of the
beautiful in nature and art. 1t would
mean an improvement in our school
house groundsS and the proper adorn-
ment of these would tend to sweeten
and purify the lives OF the whole COM
muity. BY the adornment OF our
school grounds. ! don not mean at
any costly expenditure. For it is the
of an unedueated. not 70
saw yulgar mind fhnf thinks fho bean.
Iiful and the costly are identical.
should like to see the grounds about
every country school house SO man.