Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-04-19

IN elLneT direction ny bHdh push
and when applied so as TO start the
ball along the useful path 1t will fol
low it. Or again, If started in the
wrong direction, that same ball will
just as earnestly follow the non-use-
full path. And so 1t goes with the
average plastic high school lad whC
by some small external force applied
at this vital period may have his
future determined, either for good OF
bad. And one of these forces outside
of the home influence and training
Is agriculture or any other voca-
tional subject Now this force, when
once exerted in the right way. may
be maintained by the boy himself tc
greater or less degree.
The interest will also be aided out.
side of the school by the parent or
others for it is a subject that the
farmer or ex-farmer has some per-
sonal ideas about, either by expert
ence or reading, and the boy Is sure
to come in contact with some of these
people. Here lies an excellent chance
for the exchange of ideas, a little
friendly rivalry over certain phases
of farm operations and there is moth
ing stronger to arouse a boys inter
est. The elder person recognizing
this fact and being, no doubt, open
to enlightenment on certain scien-
tific principles, shall be glad to foster
this spirit as well as to seek the OPP
portunity of learning facts that he
himself did not have the opportunity
of acquiring. This holds true, especi-
ally in the town.
Agriculture also tends to develop
the young along scientific lines. To
cause him to ask the why and where
fore of observation. 1t tends to make
him analytical and to wonder why
the corn seed produces a corn stalk
instead of wheat; why the parent
seed hands down to it's offspring the
hereditary characteristics of prolifi-
cacy, strength and form; why the
Hereford cow of desirable character
istics transfers those qualities to her
calf; why the plant is able to develop
from soil and water, and many other
well known facts. In other words,
the scientific mind understands and
accounts for all things and therein
he is able to select the good from the
bad and perhaps to even make the
good better or at least to strive to
attain that end. The individual hay
ing once acquired that characteristic
follows in the wake of progress and
not in the beaten path of the form er
type of nonprogressive and some
what ignorant farmer who was so
common but is now fortunately dis
appearing rapidly
The high school student of agri-
culture has the opportunity of de-
veloping this frame of mind and he
will not follow the old plan of what
was good enough for my prede-
cessors is good enough for me-" We
can today see the unbuslnesslike,
slow-thinking farmer being replaced
by the progressive and scientific man
who makes his farm as much a bust
ness as do the hardware or dry goods
people.
Previously the average farmer got
little pleasure from his work, due to
the fact that he did not understand
his business, and no wonder that he
was looked upon and ridiculed for
he was In a business that anyone
could make living at when land was
cheap and plenty and competition
scarce.
Today opposite conditions are pre-
vailing and the farmer Is beginning
to be looked up to as man of
brains. Again, with the enormous in
crease in our population and the
fixed acreage of land, the people are
awakening to the fact that farming
is the backbone of the country and
business, and that it demands care
full and abundant consideration. For
the day is not far distant when our
country will be as densely populated
as those of Europe and 1t will be
necessary that we make our land pro-
duce the maximum and yet maintain
its fertility and strength.
To meet this state of affairs it is
necessary that We give the younger
generation the opportunity of acquir-
ing the knowledge or tools to work
with and where can this work be bet
ter begun than in the high school =?
For it will always be true that only
small per cent of the school chill
dren will have the opportunity of at
tending college and there making
their first acquaintance with agri-