The Ocala evening star., 1914-08-01
HOME CLASSES IN
PRACTICAL FARMING AND
DOMESTIC SCIENCE


in agriculture or domestic science
and receive the textbooks, lectures,
lantern slides, laboratory and cook
neceT Tsary to conduct them
has been devised by the L. S. depart
ment Of agriculture in cooperation
with agricultural colleges OF certain
states.
The object OF the plan is TO make
accessible at home to men and Wo-
men who have not the time or means
to attend the regular courses at the
colleges, practical short courses IN
agriculture and home management
specially adapted to their districts
These, courses, which will consist OF
sumo five or more weeks, can be ar
ranged to suit the spare time and
convenience of each group of peo-
pie.
The courses to be offered at first
are poultry raising, fruit growing,
soil, cheese manufacturing dairying,
l,butter making and farm bookkeep-
ling; and for the women especially,
courses in the preparation, cooking
and use of vegeta BILE and cereal foods.
TIL department will supply lectures
and lantern slides covering these
subjects, and the states which have
agreed to cooperate in the plan viii
lend to each group laboratory and
cooking apparatus valued at SlOO
and a reference library. The text
| books and lectures Will be made SO
complete that each group can safely
/ appoint one of its members as study
course.
| When a group has decided to take
up the work, the state which cooper
ates sends an agent with the depart
ment's representative to organize
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 8 to II in
1 the morning and from l TO 4 in the
afternoon, two or three days each
week. The sessions are not held ev-
eryday, so that the members will
have time to attend to their farm
duties in between the sessions, as
we'll as before and after the instruc-
tion period. The classes meet COM
monty at the most convenient farm
house. During the morning hours,
Textbook work is done. In the after
noon laboratory work is conducted,
and the women who have elected to
take the domestic science courses
have practical lessons in cooking.
As soon as class is established,
the state organizer withdraws to
start a class in some other district.
The work thereafter is left in charge
of the leader, who receives assistance
by mail from the college or the de-
partment in carrying on the work.
AS there is no regularly paid i'm
structor, classes can be carried on
all over the state as rapidly as the
college organizer can visit the groups
and as quickly ais Ethe laboratory
sets supplied by the college become
lavailable. The local leader will pre-
side during the reading of the lect-
ures and references, for which full
texts and lantern slides are supplied
by the department. He will also be
responsible for the laboratory equip
ment Every one who completes the
course will receive a certificate from
the state college.
Not all of the states have yet
agreed to cooperate in this plan
Last winter experiments along these
lines were carried out successfully in
ed an interest in the method in other
states. In one of the Pennsylvania
classes more men applied than could
be accommodated, and all of the 2C
men and 15 women who began the
course completed it. Pennsylvania
is now arranging for more clases
while Massachusetts, Michigan, Yer
mont and Florida expect to take III
the work. Other states such a.
Maine, New York, New Jersey anC
Delaware have signified their willing
ness to cooperate.
Ordinarily a college in STATE
usually applies to the department
seeking its cooperation, when suf
ficient interest has been shown in th'
plan in several communities wher,
ten or more people have sought th'
instruction. For financial reasons
certain colleges are not so able t,
engage in the work as are others
The advantages claimed for tn
new home courses with local lead
ers and laboratory equipment Owe
the ordinary correspondence course