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


profitable
What the Farm-Life School Is.
The farm-life school, in this State.
is a frst-class rural high school, in
which the regular prescribed high
school course of study is followed,
with the addition of faculty and e1uip-
ment necessary for giving efficient and
practical instruction in farming anG
general farm management to the boys
and courses in sewing, cooking, domes-
tic science, and country home making
to the girls. The essentials of cul-
tural high school course are taught.
but with them are blended practical
courses of life utility.
The school has male principal,
and he, or another specially trained
man, is the heaaf the farm-life de-
partment of the1schoe1 and gives in
struction to the boys in practical
scientific farming. A well trained
woman is the head of the farm-life in
struction for the girls. In connection
with the school is a school farm, Of
not less than ten, usually twenty-five
or more acres This farm is the lab
cratory and the boys work on it to
study agriculture as chemist studies
chemistry with his test tubes and
pitfalls. -5...s..s. :.
But the farm-life school is much
more than an institution for the In
Etruetfon of youth, though this is its
prime intention It is the clearing
house for agricultural ideas for the
community, The school farm becpnea
the demonstration farm for the entire
community and county. The faculty
expert does extensive demonstration
work among the adult farmers, con-
ducts farmers institutes, and is in
every way the inspiration and agent Of
better farming in the county. The
influence of the school spreads ab
1eaven Of upltft through the entire
county and the results which it.
achieves are incalculable.
Where We Got the Earm-Life Schools.
This kind of school is another i'm
portation form the Middle West. The
idea found its inception and first
growth in progressive Wisconsin,
where a few experimental schools o.
this kind so "hitched education to life''
that a metamorphosis or agricultural
and living conditions in the commun-
tiles resulted and more than statewide
attention was attracted. There are
now thirty of these schools in Wiscon-
sin and they are spreading with strik-
ing success throughout the Middle
West.
Superintendent Joyner first got the
idea of the farm-life school from a
conversation with Wisconsin's superin-
tendent; Harvey. He became so inter-
ested that in 1909 ne made a special
trip to that State to investigate her
farm schools. His investigation was
thorough and he included in his BIZ
ennial report for 1909-1O an enthusi-
astic report on these schools, recon-
nending their adoption in North Caro-.
ina, and giving comprehensive plan
toi their establishment
The Farmers Union, the State .Asso.
citation of County Superfntendents and
the Teachers Assembly, became in
terested and Joined forces to push the
movement Superintendent Joyner
laid the matter. before the General As
sembIy of f911, and. with, the support
CT all, these educational forces, but
only after a considerable fight and
many appearances before committees,
secured the passage. of both the Gull
ford County Farm-life School law, and
the General County Farm-life School
-" :t:2 The Two Laws.
In general the fundamental features
Of both laws are the same, and since
the 1913 General Assembly made the
Gui1ford county law applicable to any
county of the State 10 distinction need
he drawn, for any county may estab-
lish faFm-life school under either
plan. Both acts contemplate the fur
nishing by the county, by local tax, do
nation or otherwise, of. certain equip
ment, a farm of not less than ten, pre-
ferably twenty-five acres, school build
1ngs and dormitories, laboratories, and
barns; and the furnishing of maui
tenance fund of $4,000. When this is
done by the county, the State appor-
tons to the school, out of the funds
created by the act, and equivalent of
the maintenance fund provided by the
county up to maximum of So, 800.
The chief differences in the two
laws are in the method for raising the