The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-12
TAUGHT FARMING IN
PLACE OF THREE RS
Perry Holden Tells N. E. A.
Agricultural Studies Are
More Important.

Fewer equations and more corn: not
so much discussion OF cube roots and
more on irrigation; practical teaching
against theoretical teaching-these were
the sentiments expressed by the speakers
at the meeting yesterday morning at the
tabernacle. The session was joint
one o. the rural and agriculture, ele-
mentary education and manual training
and art departments, lasting from $50
o'clock until noon, 1t was largely at
tended.
The feature Of the meeting was an ad-
dress by Perry G.. Holden OF the Inter-
national Harvester company OF Chicago.
Mr.. Holden told OF his experiences as a
country school teacher and how he had
broken away from the old idea OF read =
Ing, rlting and 'rithmetic' TO teach the
country boys and girls things they should
have known as farmers children. He
said,
You know the average method OF
book and reads paragraph: then
he writes a paragraph, cha angling ii
only so that the teacher will not .ac;
cuse him Of copying. Nice. original
way to teach children to use their
brains. isn't It? Instead of doing
that, | had the boys and girls bring
find on their farms The next day
we Judged the ears and selected the
best and poorest. The next day !
had two visitors-the first that had
whose corn was the best and the
one whose corn was adjudged the
worst. After that all year had Wis
ltors, The children took interest be-
cattle. hogs grain and other farm
products all year and the fathers
appreciated i because, as one man
remarked: You are teaching my
,T,tx
him.
1 consider method of that sort
much better than teaching boys and
girls TO say: ~ love, you love and
the practical method OF that verb
much better than 1t could be taught,
anyway
Not that I think every boy who
agriculture. Many country boys are.
fitted admirably for other vocational
training and many city boys are fit
ted for excellent farmers. The teach
special aptidudes I merely use the
teaching of practical farming as an
example The whole boy should be
trained: his hands. his feet and his
heart. s well as his head.
Although Clayton +. Palmer. supervisor
OF school gardens OF Los Angeles. was
able 10 attend, his paper, "a griculture
IN the City Schools" was read by Mrs.
SuSdn dorsey, MS assistant. In read
ing the paper Mrs. Dorsey stopped sew
eral times TO tell her audience that she
did not agree with the writer The ex-
cellent paper was in part as follows:
That industry which feeds. clothes
and shelters the human race must OF
necessity always occupy prominent
place in the minds OF thoughtful
people. The less time and energy
the race has to spend in providing the
fundamentals. the more IL has left
for developing the higher things Of
HE. The nations first consideration
Is, therefore, d wel-deyeloped agri-
culture,
Real farmers are born and not
made; IL is largely a matter OF tenn
perament. Many farmer boys have
the qualities which make for success
In business. and many city bows. II
given the right sort OF encourage
ment. would make irst-class farm
ers. Agriculture is as badly needed
In the city schools as in the country
schools: Of course. It would be
taught in somewhat different way
Some Examinations In the Content Of
Arithmetic 9s Factor IN the Economy
of Time was the subject OF short ad-
dress by W. a. Jessup. director OF the
school OF education, University of Iowa
l., r. Alderman Of Portland Or. the
last speaker. spoke IN n half humorous,
half sarcastic vein. Of the attempt which
Is made to teach children subjects for
which they VIII seldom. IL ever. have any
use, His talk was interspersed at fire.
quent intervals with appropriate stories
and was much enjoyed BY the audience