West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-08-06

| Shoes and Laboratory Equipment
for Conducting Thorn
Washington, ID. c., August S.--A plan
whereby ten or moro farmers or farm
women can form home classes i'm agri-
culture or domestic science and receive
the textbooks, lectures, lantern slides.
laboratory and cooking equipment
necessary to conduct them has been de-
vised by the L. $. Department ol Agri-
culture IN cooperation with Agricultural
Colleges OF certain States.
The object of the plan ia TO make ac-
ccssiblc ut home, To- mon and women
who have not the time or means Co at
tend the regular courses at the colleges,
practical short courses i'm agriculture and
home management specially adapted To
their districts. These courses, which will
consist of 10 to 20 lectures, and will con
sumo five or more weeks, can bc arranged
to suit the spare time and convenience Of
each group of people
The courses TO be offered ut first are
poultry raising, fruit growing, soils,
cheese manufacturing, dairying, butter
making and farm bookkeeping; and for
the women especially, courses in the
preparation, cooking and use OF vegetable
and cereal foods. The Department will
supply lectures and lantern slides cover
ing these subjects, and the States which
have agreed To cooperate in the plan will
lend TO each group laboratory and cook
ing apparatus valued mt 500 and n
reference library. The textbooks and
lectures will be made go complete that
each group can safely appoint ono Of It's
members as study leader to direct the
! work of the course.
When group has decided TO take up
the work, the State which coopcratcs
sends an agent with the Departments
representative TO organize n sample class
and assist the leader whom they elect in
laying out the work and in showing him
the best methods Of procedure. The
classes commonly are held from 500 TO
1900 in the morning and from 1900 to
1900 in the afternoon, two or three days
each week. The sessions are not held
every day, so that the members will have
| time to attend 10 their farm duties In
between the sessions, az we'll as before
and after the instruction period. The
classes meet commonly at tho most con-
voniont farmhouse. During the morning
hours textbook work Is done. I'm the
afternoon laboratory work is conducted,
| and the women who have elected TO take
the domestic science courses have pract-
cal lessons i'm cooking.
AS soon as class is established, the
State organizer withdraws 90 start class
in some other district. The work there
after is left in charge of the leader, who
receives assistance bv mail from the
college or the Department i'm carrying on
the work.
AZ there ~ no regularly paid instructor,
| classes can be carried on all over the
State as rapidly as the college organizer
can VISIT the groups, and as quickly ns
the laboratory sets supplied by the college
become available. The local leader will
preside during the reading OF the lectures
and references. for which full texts and
lantern slides are supplied 10y the Depart
ment. He will also bc responsible for
the laboratory equipment. Every one
who completes the course will receive
certificate from the State College.
Not all of the States have yet agreed to
cooperate in this plan. Last winter cx-
periments along these lines were carried
out successfully in Pennsylvania, and
this has stimulated an interest i'm the
method in other States. I'm one OF the
Pennsylvania classes more men applied
than could bcacc ommodatcd, and all Of
the 20 men and 10 women who began the
course completed IL. Pennsylvania is
now arranging for more classes, while
Massachusetts, Michigan. Vermont and
Florida expect 30 take up the work
Other States such as Maine, New York
New Jersey and Delewarc have mgnifed
their Willingness 90 cooperate.
Ordinarily college in a state usually
applies TO the Department seeking its
'''l' 'Ahtl'lif Nh'h nhtIlflfHl lHlfItel has
been shown in the plan in several COM
munities where ten or more people have
sought the instruction. For financial
reasons, certain colleges arc not 20 able
to engage in the work as are others.
The advantage claimed for the new
home courses with local leaders and
laboratory equipment over the ordinary
correspondence courses is that only a
small percentage Of those who take tho
individual correspondence course finish
IL. Studying in a group, with laboratory
work and a leader, seems to stimulate
the interest and add social feature
which lead the members Of the group q
follow the work conscientiously and com.
plcie IT. Experiments with tree CORE
spondence courses show that while manl
individuals gain advantages from them
many others, because the material i
furnished free, do not feel the same obli
cation TO complete them as they do whcu
they pay a substantial sum Of money ioi
the instruction.
Myers hay tools and rope at King
/ 5000