Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-08-27

| lie courses De1nS raised eltnST OUT u
the general school fund or by dona-
ton, OF! by local tax. Only those coun-
ties like Durham and Forsyth which
already have enough school funds to
provide six months schools, however,
are allowed to appropriate this fund
from the general county school fund.
The others must raise it by donation
/ or local tax. Afavorite plan has been
to get the county commissioners to do
cate it from the county funds, several
counties having thus secured the CO.
| operation of the commissioners.
Schools Established.
Only one school has been establish
ed so far under the general county
plan, that at Vanceboro, Craven coun-
ty, which is just completing its suc-
Ecessful first year of existence. Three
| schools were established under the
Guilford special act, at jamestown,
Pleasant Garden and Brown Summit.
The first two of these have been re-
markedly successful and Superintend-
emit Foust of Guilford is enthusiastic
in their praise.
Two schools were established under
the extended Guilford plan when IT,
was made applicable to other counties:
loves Grove, in Durham county, and,
Harmony, in Iredell. These have beea
in successful operation year. Other
schools have been provided for under
this plan and will be opened next fall
as follows: Philadelphus, in Rcbeson;
China Grove. in Rowan; Cary and
Wakelon in Wake: Aulander, in Be-
tie ,rPineville, in Mecklenburg: Lii
linetol, in Harnett: Rock Ridge. N
Wilson: startown. in Catawba; Red
qak4 lin NASH and Edentops I'M Chow
an. making a total Of seventeen or
more farm-life schools which will be
in operation 1914-15.
Perfecting the Work.
Owing to the infancy of the farm
life school movement, much of the
work is in the realm of experimental
ton and there are no very definite
standards set for their work as yet.
State superintendent Joyner, however,
is extremely anxious that the schools
N North Carolina shall start out under
the most. suspicious conditions and he
is bending every effort to the working
cut of practical course of study for
the farm-life departments of these
schools.
Nothing like this exists in any very
well-defned form and what North
Carolina works out will be more or
less a distinct contribution to the edu-
cational theory and practice of the ma
ton. Superintendent Joyner has Sc
cured the services for the summer OF
Mr.. E. A. Hodson, specialist in agri-
culture at the A. and M. College, to
work out this course of study, and he
IS making an exhaustive study of the
subject, that the schools may begin
their work on sound lines and not ru
ashore on the sands of inefficiency and
n:isdirection.
Mr.. Hodson has just returned from
a special trip to New York State,
where he spent several weeks in in
yestigation at Cornell University.
Here he got the ideas of the leading
agriculturaliGts and educators of the
county and made full use of the
splendid libraries and facilities of the
University After consultation with
the leading educators of this State, ne
will complete the course of study. in
the next few weeks, and it will be is
sued from the State. Department of
Education as bulletin in time for the
opening of the farm-life. schools this
! fall. .,..-.,..~
This, in very brief, outline, is. the
History and the promise of these farm
life schools which are expected, more
than any other one, thing. to make a
rural education practical. to train up
| a race of intellectual, wide-awake,
bEain-farmers which vii in time PLACE
| North Carolina in the very. forefront
Of all the agricultural States Of. the
Union. Educators agree that the. fu-
tGre Of rural education in this State
and in the South lies in the perfection
and extension of the idea Of the farm
life school.