The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-06-05
BY Herbert Al. Hard

In nearly every state pernicious OUT
' side influences are working to- divorce
from the state college all forms Of in
structlon not purely pertaining to aE-
Tlculture-this in an efdeavor to make
ltHa trade school, ~segregate classes of
instruction, and prevent duplication
OF courses" Again, with the college
ls often found a group, confident in
their possession of the purely agri-
cultural spirit" who would divorce
from the mems courses anything that
does not teach that which in d few
ont may be turned into ready cash
That which does not make them able
next season to reap a larger harvest.
In the Wornen's home economic Courses
we md those who frown upon ANYTHING
which is not practical" enough to
make the farmers daughter direct1y
able on short notice to better do me
chanical money making and money
saving tasks. 1880
Or. Pritchett in his letter to the
Iowa board Of education sets forth:
First, h a agricultural education
should be a trade school type; second,
1t should be isolated from other lines,
says:
, The school Of agriculture ought to
teach the trade of farming, even
though 1t does research in it's exneri-
mental station"
These educators proceed to convince
one that the farmers life should never
be prepared for anything but a mere
mechanical trade; that a "straight-out
school of agriculture" should omit any-
thing aimed to fit him to solve those
elementary points in agricultural en-
gineering n the truly scientific prob
lens of soil and crop Improvement and
research; that the farmer need never
NOW that broader practical education
which will help him to cease to be the
producer of wealth which is now
largely harvested by TRANSPORTATION
SAMPLER; that certain classes MAJ
W cease to farm the farmer"
DR.. Pritchett says: II should not
make these academic requirements for
admission higher than the equipment
afforded by the elementary schools
The objections to DR.. Pritchett's
plan may be illustrated. A Tennessee
educator had been converted to the So
called agricultural point of view. He
made no such mistake as to 20 10 the
farmer with messages Of chemistry,
or geology Of the soil, but advocated
only the eminently practical things"
At a meeting up in the hill country he
made an address in which he labored
long n arduously to prove to the au-
ulelCe mat every o and every girl,
should know how to milk a cow, and to
this end should attend an AGRICULTURAL
college. After wearing himself and
the audience pretty we'll out he threw
the meeting open for remarks and dis
cuss1on. After a painful silence. a
saunt old nan with hay-colored whis-
kers, the principal of a t]heological
seminary, arose. Stranger" said he,
Il agree with you that every boy.
black or white, should know how to
milk a COW. I even agree that every
girl should include this art along with
her other accomplishments. However,
I want to make his suggestion:
wouldn't 1T be a good thing for a COL
lege to teach its students something
that a calf couldn't beat 'em at?"
MI. Hubbard in Science aptly re-
marks that What the farmer. demands
OF the college is a solution of the prob
lens which are too intricate for him TO
solve for himself. The farmer can put
rat onto steers about as rapidly as can
a college professor, but he cannot anal
we feeds. Neither can the farmer an
aiyze his soils or identify the pests that
infect his crops. Should the college
undertake to teach these things. along
with the practise of farming to a lad
Just out of the eighth grade? Mani
testify, not. and for the reason that to
him who hath shalTbe given, Few of the
well-prepared boys who enter college
make good scientists. Almost none of
those entering DR.. Pritchett's ideal