The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-15
AGRICULTURAL TRAINING
IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL S
State Owes Duty Coming Generations That 1t Cannot
Afford to Neglect-Principes of the Science of Ag
riculture Might Be Taught Even in the City
Schools-Some Practical Suggestions

BY fntrod 4ctit win consist OF three
self-evident propositions.
1. The most important thing In the
world ID man.
2. The absolute necessities OF mans
existence are food. raiment and shell
ter.
.. Virginia has twenty-five million
acres OF land. These acres constitute
the capital of the Commonwealth.
From them we must get directly, or
indirectly. our physical existence as
~eil as the intellectual and moral
potentiaiities which We call char
acter.
Up to q very recent time our pub
lie school policy has been to give the
mind Of the child "a common school
training" and then throw him into
the ocean Of life with but little know
ledge OF the currents Of his environ
ment, and let his sink or swim" as
he Is able.
On March ~, 1908, the Common
wealth began the experiment of In
structinE some OF its children In
Agriculture. domestic science and
manual training" and authorized
normal schools to teach the teachers
Of its children how to teach the in
dustrfes OF life. IN other words an
effort was begun to give our children
some ideas how to extract food. raj
ment and shelter from the soil
This action OF March IA. 1908, has
been followed up IN various ways.
until throughout the State our teach
ers, parents and children, especially
in our farming communities. are liv-
ing In an atmosphere of great expec-
fancy ana hope.
In this emergency what should
the State do for agricultural instruc-
ton In our public schools" In dis
cussing this question at your invi-
tation shall assume that the term
Agricultural Instruction" includes
such domestic science as any farmers
girl ought to know; such manual
training as any farmers boy ought
to know. and such facts and laws OF
nature Al the smallest child may ask
questions about
The first thing that the State should
do would be to reconstruct the cur
ricuium OF our public schools SO az TO
introduce as much Industrial edca-
ton as can be safely and inteiligently
done. l do not believe, however. that
the curriculum should be heightened.
On the contrary. ! believe that II can
be and should be shortened and
after the second year of the high
school much Of the course might be
made elective. / believe much could
be cut out OF our grammar. our arith-
r-~fic ard geography. Our war his
tory could be safely reduced from
100 pages to i6. believe the Amert-
can language should be taught and
well taught. but j would be glad 10
see all Of the other moda-n Ian
suages cut out ! do not believe IN
teaching the continental languages nj
the expense OF our taxpayers
In the second place think agri-
culture should be considered q science
study. and the pupil who has taken
the REQUIRED course should be en-
titled to due credit therefor. IL he
desires TO enter the university. the
State college OF agriculture. or any
ether college OF the State. To penalize
the boy who studies agriculture will
not encourage its study by others
When only one boy In a hundred
sspired to a college education. and
he was to be a lawyer or clergy man.
teacher or doctor. the old stand