The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-06
The Function OF the
Agricultural School
oupt. r. l.. Whitney of Grafton Read Fine Paper Before
N. D. E. A. On Function of Agricultural High School

ence as a practical farmer; (2) ali the
practical work of the boys will be
done on home farms, and the school
Will attempt no farming; go the In
structor will supervise the boys prae-
teal work during the summer months
and Will have a vacation in the win
ter; a. and each agricultural pupil
eral nature In the high school in
which the department Is located.
In the case of the central or coun-
ty agricultural school, 1t is to be as
surned CD that the school will have a.
faculty and will be of such a size as
to justify its giving exclusive atten-
ton to agricultural (and, possibly,
household arts education); (2) that 1t
will have two classes of pupils-those
from farmers homes and those from
villages or cities; co that it will have
sufficient land not only to give object
lessons on a small scale of good farm
Ing but also to provide city boys with
suitable opportunities for their prac-
teal work; and a. that it will be so
located as to be accessible to the
maximum number Of pupils In the
area served"
The above cancellations and
ideals obtain in the state of Massa-
chusetts and are summarized in an
article In the May, 1918. American
( NA'S bOuIu journal DIV COmmlS-
sioner Of Education David Snedden.
Let US compare them with the begin
nlng we have made in our own state
IN secondary education in agriculture
The establishment of the five
schools which are operating under
chapter 268, laws of 1918, was a part
or a large movement in the middle
west for more efficient vocational edu-
cation which we must say with shame
mad Its origin outside Of the school, in
the demand Of a large group of prac-
tlcal, .tar-seeing men in the business
world for a type of instruction in our
nigh schools which would increase the
output and the value of the output
from our farms. In Minnesota this
took the form of the Putnam and
Benson-Lee schools, and our depart
ments in the five schools OF Velva, |
Beach, LaMoure, Darlington, and Graf |
ton are administered along practically
similar lines.
Il think we have as our object in |
view to prepare boys to succeed in |
farming n to like tha as a. career
ana IN our instruction we aim to COM
pine practical efficiency with scientific
KnoWledge.' 1t should be more large
~ every year the function of the agri-
cultural college to concern itself chief |
~ with students of college grade. It
Is impossible to meet the needs of
every portion Of our state where there |
are thousands of our young people who
can never nope to take a course at
fargo. For these 1t Is necessary that
agricultural schools should be locat-
ed near at hand, that their courses
should be- adapted to the needs. of
young people usually below college age
ana having little or no high school
~education.' In departments it
snould not be our aim weakly to imI-
a1A M q Orf7Tr1tYrrn1
nc The plant, the endowment, nor the
appropriation from the legislature to
do this.
1T would seem that our five schools
might carry On some experimental
work In accordance with the Massa-
chusetts ideal, but this cannot be on
the scale that we find at the expert |
tnental farms like that at Langdon,
Tor example. We own or lease ten
OF more acres of land only, and this
Is hardly enough to go into extensive
experiments extending over long peri |
oos or time. Some things can be
zone, however, to show the farmers
what may be done with new crops |
IKE alfalfa and corn; and rotation |
plots' deep blowing trials, and areas
treated with different kinds of fertiIiz- |
ers will show on a small scale what
the practical. farmer would experience
II ne We're to use these methods. on
MS farm. The Putnam schools in !
Minnesota, led by Cokato, have de- |
Veloped through a period of a. number |
or years under the supervision of the |
nlgh school expert and definite and
minute accounts and records are KEEP |
or projects and results. This follows |
on two conditions only: Cd That the |
local school shall have established al
reputation for conservative advance |
ment n shall have very largely the |
confidence of the farmers of the COM
munlty, and, CD that the young man
~ charge or III agricultural work be
OF the light personality, experience |
and address to get and retain. and
carry on successfully the work of sew
eral farms at q time. / might say that
the state agricultural college of Min
nesota helps in this work by furnish
Ing blanks for records and reports
from Its experiment station. -~+
snort course instruction may and is
carried on by our schools with good
results in an inspirational and in-l
formational way. This gives. an on
poftunlty for those who cannot possf-
bly, go to Fargo during the winter to-
get some help and direction in :pracl
ticals farm problems. These courses
IN our schools have been started after
the fall ploW1ng is completed, general
~ about the first of December, and
nave been continued for eight, ten, or
twelve weeks according to the char
acter of the weather in the earIv
spring and the wishes of those In at,
tendance. No scholastic requirement.
Whatever has been necessary for at
tendance, 1t being said only that al
person must be at least fourteen years
OF age. This gives a chance for a.
large number to get some schooling
who would otherwise never have the
opportunity again. Our experience
has been that the average age of
those who attend is about Is to 2G
there are many much older than
this, while the majority have not as
completed six or seven grades Of
in the common schools.
"A two-year course has been Offer
in agrieulture-the first year al
general cours dealing with the topaI
les of most interest and value to tha
farmers of that particular locality,
and the second year a. more advanced
which takes up a fewer numI
Der of topics and treats them more
exhaustively., A course in farm arith-
metic Is offered also. Some of our
schools used last year the little
pamphlet published at Cokato for this
purpose. but this year they are adopt
ing Burkett and Swartzel's book pub
lished by the Orange Judd Co. Cours-
es In business English, farm accounts.
etc, have been offered
and have been eagerly studied by
those in attendance. The handworH
for the men has consisted of woodwork
when such useful articles as whifflea