The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01
SHOULD EDUCATE
FOR LIFE ON FARM
Suggestions OF Man Who Looks
to Agriculture to Save
the Country.
PRACTICE THAT BEATS THEORY
Use OF Hoe and Plow May Be
Taught in. Public
Schools.
PRACTICE THAT BEATS THEORY
BY LINDSAY CRAwLEY. VI. A.


Virginia is largely an agricultural
sustain system of schools large agri-
cultural and industral-that is. If IL
expects TO perpetuate her people. and
not be driven from the promised land"
by those who are skilled in such work.
Teach ner boys TO become lawyers,
doctors and such like professions, and
you will have to import immigrants to
work her fields, cook her food and
ciothe her children.
Too long has Virginia been favored
with system OF schools that extend
the helping hand to the favored few
and have not maintained institutions
that have taken the boy in the field
or the girl in the Kitchen and actually
Helped her Just at present some are
feeling the impetus OF public senti-
inent, ana are pleading Industrial train
ing for our young folks, but wish TO
centre IL In such far away institutions
that the real needy boy and girl can't
get IT, They. az ii were. are putting
all the feed up in the loft, so the large
ones can SCARCELY reach it, much less
the calves. Why erect such magnin-
cent buildings and make such enor-
nous appropriations for the select few
and Yet do SO little for the mass OF
pnpilS-nlnety eight out OF every hun
dredr
While We are making leaders n our
higher institutions. should we not also
make or help those who are to serve
the leaders as we'll?
Work II Out I'm Home Schools.
The writer is Of the opinion that
agriculture and industrial training of
some kind should be taught in every
public school in Virginia, along with
reading. writing and arithmetic Give
every pupil this training. and after the
crowd has gotten through the common
cob .lf 81 OF
pupils so advanced will take care of
themselves and get such higher in
struction rs they see fit. The coun-
try boy and girl at present are not
having an equality of opportunity,
which our democracy demands MOI
only do the public school children now
leave school i'll prepared for life. but
our universities tell US they are equally
i'll prepared for the university. Vir-
ginia does not appreciate the pupil in
overalls. the boy who calls hogs who
drives cattle, or the housewife in an
ill-kept kitchen. o. the girl in her cheap
calico. Cannot the conditions be
changed by the Legislature? 7 think
not. However. if our conscript faith
ers were properly Informed of the ig-
norant masses and told the truth Of
their desires / think they could ana
would help more than they are now
doing.
After the State has appropriated its
thousands to the higher institutions.
both for homes and tuition purposes.
may some one tell me why 1T is, even
after that 1t costs so much for our
pupils to attend them? What does IT
cost to attend our State universities or
our agricultural colleges for four years
and finish the course? How docs this
compare with the higher private In
stjtntions i'll our own State which re-
ceive no state aid? Something is rad
iral I,,t, e.,l,o
They are not adapted to the average
country boy. Is it not because the
RICH fellow lives in such extravaganza
that the poor boy. though proud. can
not cope with the fortunate few not
only of our own State. but many of the
spendthrifts. of other States, who have
found shelter in many of our higher
institutions?
Need of tho Hour.
What Virginia needs are agricultural
schools in which poor boys may study
and feel al home. They do not want TO
he obliged to apologize TO their class
mates for taking the agricultural
course. as a certain graduate of an
agricultural college told me n fcw
days ago was his case, rs well as that
of his classmates. Agricultural train
ing should be nearer the country boy.
and conditions should be such that it
it is dignified to labor and pleasure
to- work with ones hands.
One step in this direction is the
founding of agricultural night schools.
These are yet in their infancy. The
state now has created them and let
them alone, yet most all OF them are
becoming eminently successful. The
one located at Appomattox has 400 pu-
pills. and these pupils will go back to
the farm. They are going to become
farmerss graduates of agricultural
colleges rarely ever farm. Nearly all
of them are experts, and have yet to
see graduate from that institution
who makes asiiying by farming. The
IS .iContinuQd ON Sixth 5Y,aaol ~ -