Evening star., 1914-08-01
CLASSES ARE PLANNED
TONSTRUcT FARMERS
Department of Agriculture to Issue
Equipment for Lessons in
Tilling the Soil.
Women Also to Be Taught Cooking
Where Ten or More Get Together
for That Purpose.

The Department Of Agriculture has de-
vised a plan whereby ten OF more farm
ers or farm women can form home
classes in agriculture or domestic sci
ence and receive the text books. lectures.
lantern slides, laboratory and cooking
equipment necessary to conduct such
classes. The plan is to be carried out in
cooperation with the agricultural col
leges of several states.
The department today made public an
explanation Of the plan, which is, in part,
as follows:
1.-The object Of the plan is to make ac-
cessible at home, to men and women
who have not the time or means to at
tend 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 fifteen to twenty lectures and
will consume five or more weeks, can
be arranged to suit the spare time and
convenience of each group of people.
Courses to Be offered.
t'The courses to be offered at 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 vegeta-
bles and cereal foods. The department
will supply lectures and lantern slides
covering these subjects, and the states
which have agreed to cooperate in the
plan will lend to each group laboratory
and cooking apparatus valued at $100 and
a reference library. The text books and
lectures will be made SO complete that
FnI, af ifc
members as study leader to direct the
work of the course.
when a group has decided to take up
the work. the state which co-operates
sends an agent with the departments rep
resentative to organize a sample class and
assist the leader whom they elect in lay
ing out the work and in showing him the
best methods Of procedure. The sessions
are not held every day, SO that the men,
bers will have time to attend to their
farm duties in between the sessions, as
well as before and after the instruction
period. The classes meet commonly at
the most convenience farmhouse.
Leader in Charge Of Work.
"As soon as class is established the
state organizer withdraws to start a class
in some other district The work there
after is left in charge Of the leader, who
receives assistance by mail from the col
lege or the department in carrying on the
work. Every one who completes the
course will receive a certificate from the
state college.
mot all Of the states have yet agreed
to cooperate in this plan. Last winter
experiments along these lines were car
ried out successfully in Pennsylvania, and
this has stimulated 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 twenty men and fifteen women who
began and course completed 1t. Penn
sylvania lis now arranging for more
classes. while Massachusetts,, Michigan,
Vermont and Florida expect to take up
the work. Other states. such as Maine,
New York, New Jersey and Delaware,
have signified their willingness to CO.
operate.