Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-01-10
RURAL SCHOOLS
DEMANDING MORE
ATTENTION NOW
County Teachers Should BE Bet
ter Paid.
AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS
IN THE RURAL DISTRICTS


IN THE RURAL DISTRICTS
State Board of Regents Make Many
Recommendations to the Legisla.
lature and Appeal For Help to Inn
prove Che Agricultural Conditions
Something of Experiment Station.
The report Of the state board of re-
gents TO which attention was called
a few weeks ago by some alarming
figures showing agricultural condi
lions in West irgina, offers many
practical suggestions to our legisla-
tors for improving these conditions
Some of the recommendations follow:
Better Teachers.
About two hundred thousand chill
dren who live in the rural districts OF
West Virginia must look to the ele
mentary teachers for their prepare
ton for making a living and their life
ideals. At present not more than 5
to 10 per cent OF these teachers have
any special training, and they receive
on an average for their services the
meager sum of thirty-five or forty dol
lars per month for six months in the
year.
Provision should be made for Of
feriRg in our normal schools special
short courses for rural teachers, with
emphasis on agriculture and kindred
subjects. The minimum salary for
teachers holding No l certificates
should not be less than fifty dollars
per month.
- Make Them Advisers.
About 30 per cent of the rural school
teachers and children are now under
the first charge of district supefin-
tendents. If power were given the
boards of education or the county au-
thorities 10 retain the services of such
Of these men as have special train
ing in agriculture, experts to advise
the farmers throughout the summer
StdSOii tOuiN lHuS bt StNulth WIN
small additional expense. These su-
perintendents could also supervise
the schoolchildren in their flower and
vegetable gardens, and club work,
Sld thus make school work continu-
throughout vacation months.
Give County Courts Power.
The United States government, spc-
cial organization, chambers of com
merce and private citizens are giving
help to this work, and limited power
should be given to the county courts
to put small amount of this expense
upon the taxpayers who are directly
benefited.
Such demonstrators are at work in
Kanawha and Wood counties and one
is provided for in the northern pan
handle This work has been carried
on for many years with great profit
in the south, where 500 county dem
onstrators give personal supervision
to tests and scientific demonstrations
and ordinary farm operations of 90
GEO farmers. The practical results
have been wonderful The yield Sc
cured by the farmers who cooperate
with the demonstrators is generally
nearly double the average for the
county or state. Using corn as an eX-
ample, we find that while the south
produced Is of the corn of the Unit
ed States in 1900. it produced Is in
1910. Eleven southern states increas-
ed their corn yield in one year 15S,-
900 bushels In the same time the
state Of Mississippi increased its corn
crop 90 per cent. One mercantile
company in that state says that it for
merly collected 100000 annually
from the planters to send to other
states for corn, but since the scientif-
ic methods have been taught not one
dollar is sent out of that county for
corn West Virginia farmers need the
same kind of nearby expert help.
Should Have Support.
In amount of Cultivatable land fur
nished the College of Agriculture and
Experiment Station, West Virginia,
in list of all the states and terri
tories, stands at the bottom. only
three states nave FEWER sluuentS III
four-year college courses in agricul-
ture. While our university, through
many lines OF extension work, bulle
tins, boys and girls corn clubs, far
mers and homekeepers extension
schools, field demonstrations scien-
tdc Investigations and experiments,
and regular college courses in agri-
culture is doing great work, the
equipment is not sufficient to attract
our young men in large numbers.
The report recommends that the Col
lege of Agriculture and Experiment
Station have a larger farm, fine az
ricultural building and proper equip
ment, and liberal increase in appro-
priations for extension work. SPACE
,,-i1I NOT ror,,,if .,rettp1pnt here but