Arizona republican., 1914-07-06
NEW DAY DAWNS
FOR ARIZONA
Country Life Problems Are
Taught in Public School
as Part of Practical Edu-
cation-StOries Of Farm
Products Told
Ry HARRY WELCH)

A new day is QdWnlnS III ArlZolld.
No longer will the children i'll tie
country school be unable to work out
country life problems. The children of
farmers will be taught to assist in
working out the details of farm fl
cures, profits and losses. There will
be a new arithmetic issued for use
in country schools. 1t will not go into
problems relating to materials which
are foreign to the farm school child. 1t
will detail in it's tasks sub
jects with which all country school
children are acquainted. This step to
secure for the school children in agri-
cultural communities in Arizona
text book on arithmetic which will deal
with agricultural figures is not the
only step to be taken, but the value of
text book of this order is at once
apparent. The child on the farm will
DC able to figure out what pays. what
is worth while, he or she will be able
to tell the parent if need be where the
| method of estimating the crop revenue
is at fault. A farmer need no longer
be going along on the assumption that
ne is making a profit when he may he
actually losing. He will be able 10
have his own children verify his es-
Inmates. 1t will prove helpful in bring
| ing out the examples of success before
y whole community The child Of sue
cessful parents will not remain silent
when stories of farm products are be-
! ing told and explained. The good re-
| suits of one farmer will be retaied ov-
or the dinner table and in the evenings
| throughout the entire neighborhood.
| Children will learn economy and see
the .enefits of careful investigation.
| They will learn the value of pure seed,
| blooded stock. prize poultry, deep
cultivation. proper farming principles
and will he supplied first hand through
| the medium of the school children.
There is no end to the advantages that
will be secured by this method Of in
| struction.
| Already the influence is being felt.
High schools are planning to test
the cows in a whole district. Thorough
milk tests will be made on whole
herds or single animal as the farm
ers may desire. This without cost to
any of the farmer. The work will be
supervised by scientific teachers who
are well equipped to bring the best
methods home to the children. What a
wedding out will follow this testing.
Cows that have been boarding" in
stead of producing will be eliminated
and high test cows substituted At
| once the farmer will see where he has
been losing money. The farmer will
want to test out everything on the
| farm. And his next experiment will
be on the seed. Corn clubs, grain
clubs and other crop clubs are being
| formed all over the state The first
| of these clubs is seed testing. The boys
and girls quickly learn how to pick out
the best seed. How to secure the best
results from the best seed and the best
methods to be followed in handling
the crop. The boys and girls at school
again become the assistants of the
parents. The farmer will cooperate
with, and help his son in his selection
of seed for the test plot The farmer
himself getting pointers in the opera
ton. 1t is impossible to tell where the
work will end. The farm wife will an
alyZe her poultry flock. She will learn
why she gets less or more eggs than
her neighbor and will plan changes
| This investigation will not be confined
to animals and crops. 1t will consider
the different varieties of soils. 1t will
will make reports on fertilizers. It will
see the wisdom of careful application
| of water in irrigation farming. 1t VIII
study the country house problem,
drainage. plumbing. flower garden.
road. their upkeep and drainage as
well as their construction to meet the
| requirement to the particular locali-
| ty. Nothing more potent can be con-
ceived than this reformation of in
struction method in schools in the
agricultural communities.
| In all of this work the city schools
will cooperate. The relationship be-
tween the city and country school
in Arizona is very close High schools
in the cities have their experiment
| farms. their agricultural instructors
and their cooperative plots of ground
where farming is carried on. The
strength of Arizona lies in its schools
The splendid buildings throughout the
country districts are surprise to ev-
eryone The wonderful buildings in
the cities are also delight to every
one, who is fortunate to see them The