The farmer and mechanic., 1911-01-10

The farm superintendent is Judge,
both as to the quantity and quality
Of the work performed by each con-
testant, especial stress being laid on
quality Then. too, each contestant
realizes that whatever the outcome of
the contest each shares IN the COM
mon good resulting from their labors.
The baseball and other games that
often follow at the close Of the work
and that take place at intervals during
the summer, crafty the play instinct
and afford the much needed diversion
from the monotonous rounds of daily
life On the farms.
In this way the people of the COM
naunity share their joys and their
pleasures and unite in friendly inter
course, all the while dominated by
common purpose and aim, that or the
good of the mass rather than that
Of the individual Thus is evolved the
highest form Of society. An accepted
definition d of society is that of a group
Of people working together in a COM
con spirit and toward common end.
Judged by this standard, l know or
no truer type than that developed
by the school farm.
AS above pointed out, any institu-
ton, in order to grow to significant
proportions, must be founded on ma
aural laws. If 1t be an educational
institution, cognizance must be taken
of the underlying laws Of mind. The
broadest and most important laws OF
teaching, as pointed out by Professor
McMurray, briefly, are: Induction. ap-
perception. aim, self-activity, absorp-
. ton and reflection, mOtOr-actiVity. in
! tarest, and correlation. 1t can be
seen as a glance that the school farm
EN- bodies these laws and is therefore,
truly teaching force.
The aim of this paper has been to-
say that since farming, including the
science of agriculture and the mode
Of living on the farm. is the occupa-
ton Of more than half of our people,
| it deserves to be studied by our youth.
That since farming in this broad sense
OF the word cannot be studied in its
| natural setting in the high school and
college, removed from the farm CEN
ters and. since only a small fraction
of our people reach the high school
and colleges; and since many of those
! who go to the agricultural school and
| college, either for the lac of definite
aim and purpose, or because Of false
standards of value, are deflected into
the professions. commonly regarded as
: the easiest walks of life, it is neces-
sary to embody in the course Of in
/ structlOn Tor the rural elementary
Schools the schools Of all the country
people, courses leading to the degree
| of farming.
OlHce Tor tne young man and for
the unframed adult mind, any indus
try must be studied as an art rather
than as a science, this great business
! OF farming must be prosecuted under
some such impelling interest and aim
! as that Of providing means for tha
spport Of the school, and only Incl
dentally shall the science of agricul-
ture be introduced. Moreover, if our
people are to be truly educated. the
period Of instruction must extend he
yond the school period
+ This paper offers the school farm
as a component part of the elensen-
tary school in close touch with the
people, influenced by their needs. and.
in turn, developing in them a greater
sense OF their needs and in efficiency.
i would undertake to say that tht.
school farm is founded on natural
human laws and is. therefore. destined
to grow and to remain without effort
as a part our larger educationa1
life; that it is founded on ned 3gopicaI
laws, and is therefore, good melium
OF instruction.
! HAY AND STRAW