Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-11-01
Mich. High Schools Pioneers
i'm Teaching of Agriculture
By KEATS ViNlNG, Instructor in Agriculture, Fl, mont

and art corresponding to high
school science and art, or it is the
elemental parts of college agri-
culture to be used to produce bet
ter farming and better farms. Then
to conform to the above it is nee
essary that course in agriculture
consisting Of soils, animal hus-
bandry. feeding. noI ticul ,ure poEl-
try, milk production and the other
branches OF agriculture be SO reg
ulated that it fits into the high
school curriculum.
The work of this kind being done
in Michigan is only a few years
old but even at that it is the pion-
eer in the movement, for six years
appointed head of the department
OF agricultural education he wrote
to et very department of public in
struction and agricultural college
in the United States; he could get
no information whatsoever, SO the
course as given in the Michigan
high school today is the result OF
work done by Prot. French and
heads or other departments at the
Nj. \. e.
The work in Michigan high
schools, and this year there are
some 80 schools in the state Civ
ing the agricultural course, is ar
ranged as one unit for each sub
iect pursued. Ninth grade, agri-
cultural botany; tenth grade, farm
crops and horticulture; eleventh
grade, types and breeds of live
stock and dairying ; twelfth grade (;
soils and soil physics, farm man
agemehr and farm mechanics. The
work thus formed gives a parallel
to that of English, science or his
tory and of such a character that
the University of Michigan and the
Michigan Agricultural college have
recognized credits showing .ac-
ceptable work done in this course.
In the local schools, much in
terest has been shown this year,
not SO far as the regularly en-
rolled agricultural students are
concerned for there were 10 boys
who enrolled as such, but all the
classes have large enrollments
and in the case of the botany class
it was necessary to divide it into
two sections, each section having
between 20 and % students. The
class in farm crops numbers %,
with 10 girls and seven boys en-
rolled. 1t might be said tina. con-
trary to expectations when the
class was formed, the girls are
showing an exceeding amount of
interest and doing some excellent
work. The class in soils and soil
fertility consists of 81 boys. The
work in soils and live stock is al
ternated each year and combined
in the eleventh and twelfth grade
work
Field trips have been taken in
the work of the ten.h and elev-
enth, grades, the trips applying 70
the work as near as possible in the
class room. The size of the botany
class makes it impracticable for the
whole class to go into the field
at once SO two or three trips are
to be arranged for Saturday morn
ings open to any students enrolled
in the agricultural course.
The class in crops is studying
corn at the present time and when
the work gets to selection OF seed
corn, arrangements will be made
il possible with some farmer in
the neighborhood, to have the
class go into the field, select the
seed corn, test it in The labora-
tory and return the tested corn
to the farmer. The type of corn
studied will be some standard dent
variety that is grown in this To-
cality. The class In crops has been
studying plant foods. One mem
Der brought in some soil from an
infertile spot on his home farm,
and the class Is working on pot
cultures to determine II possible
the cause of the infertility. Work
was started recently on pot cul-
lures TO determine the nitrogen
fixing powers of bacteria found on
the roots of the legumes.