The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-09-15
!; 3: :: :: ;: :: :: = :: :: :. :: :: :: :: :,
!: VACATION TRIP ON THE ::
!: PROFITS OF SCHOOL {:
!: FARMING. ..... {:
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10 prove that farming right
kind of farming-pays, is one Of the
tasks which the rural school has en-
phatically set itself. 1t is particularly
essential to make the school children
realize the money value of agricul-
ture not as a theory, but as a prac-
tical fact, and one of the best ways
for demonstrating it has been shown
to be to let the children actually farm
a bit OF ground and collect the pro-
ceeds. Recently the United States
commissioner Of education, DR., p. L.
Claxton had occasion to welcome a
party of southern boys and girls who
were on a sightseeing tour of Wash
ington with money earned in their
own farming.
Real farming did it, said DR..
ClaXton, in describing the expert
ment. The money earned from their
individual garden patches in connec
tion with the study of up-to- date
farming paid the expenses of those
30 Virginia school children. The
children came from the Second Con-
gressioral District Ag1icu].ural
School at Driver, near Norfolk. The
party was i ncharge of Mr.. J. b. L.
De JArnette, the principal of the
school, and he was a busy man in
deed during the three days spent in
seeing the sights of the nations cap
ital.
Tomatoes and other produce pail
the full cost of the trip, which was
Just $l3.7S for each pupil by the way.
This amount was only II comparative
" small part of their total earnings
for the year. The children come from
one of the best gardening regions of
the south, and their scnooI has a
unique place in that particular com
munity The school has an instruct
or in agriculture, who teaches three
days q week and spends the other
three days in farm demonstration
work. applying on the actual farms of
the district the theory he imparts in
school"
Further inquiry showed that this is
not the first time The children have
learned that intelligent farming
| brings in a cash return. Each stu
| dent makes regularly a profit of from
| S25 to 500 on the individual garden
patch he cultivates. In addition the
children help in working a school
| farm which after paying all expenses
| including the wages of a man who
serves both as farmhan and as
school janitor shows a profit of about
5000. Mr.. De Jarnette is confident
that with a 75-acre farm, which ne
hopes to have soon, his boys will be
able to earn their own living entirely
while attending school.
The state of Virginia is among the
that are beginning to realize the i'm
portance of adequate agricultural ed
ucation, and money has been appro-
priated to aid the school, There have
also been private benefactions. \
new $4,000 building is to be dedl
Gated in September and Dr. ClaXton
has promised to be present at the
ceremonies.
The experiment at Driver is only
one of many indications of what the
| American rural school can and should
| do. All over the country efforts are
being made to bring home to the
country districts the significance and
value of agriculture. The rural school
is the essentia! link in the chain,
! and the United States Bureau of Edu-
cation is endeavoring to drive this
| fact home so deep it will never be
| forgotten, for the Bureau maintains
that the rural school must provide
the kind of training that will not only
fit boys and girls for rural life, but
will serve to interpret life in the
country so attractively that when the
children grow to manhood and wom-
| anhood they will be glad to remain
on the farm.