Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-08-04
Home Classes In Practical Farming

or farm women can form home classes In
agriculture or domestic science and re-
ceive the textbooks, lectures, lantern
slides, lab ratory and cooking equipment
necessary to conduct them has been de-
vised by the U. s. Department of Agri.
culture in cooperation with Agricultural
Colleges of certain States.
The object of the plan is to make &C.
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 Is to 20 lectures, and will
consume five or more weeks, can be ar.
ranged to suit the spare time and con-
venience of each group of people.
The courses to be offered at first are
poultry raising, fruit growing, soils,
cheese manufacturing, dairyiug, butter
making, and farm bookkeeping; and for
the women especially, courses in the
preparation, cooking and use of vegetable
and cereal foods. The Department will
supply lectures and lantern slides cover
ing these subjects. and the States which
have agreed to cooperate in the plan will
lend to each group laboratory and cook
ing apparatus valued at 800 and ref
erence library. Tho textbooks and lee
lures will be made go complete that each
group can safely appoint one of its mem
bers as study leader to direct the work
of the course.
When group has decided to take up
the work, the State which cooperates
sends an agent with the Departments
representative to organize sample class
and assist the leader whom they elect IN
laying out the work and in showing hin
the best methods of procedure. The
classes commonly are held from 500 to
100 in the morning and from 100 to
4 90 in the afternoon, two or three days
each week. The sessions are not held
every day, so that the members will have
time to attend to their farm duties in
between the sessions, as we'll az before
and after the instruction period. The
classes meet commonly at the most con-
venient farmhouse. During the morn
ing hours, textbook work Is done. In
the afternoon laboratory work Is con-
Quoted, and the women who have elected
practical lessons In cooking.
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.
As there is no regularly paid instruct
or, classes can be carried on all over the
State as rapidly as the college organizer
can visit the groups, and as quickly as
the laboratory sets supplied by the col.
lege become available. The local leader
will preside during the reading of the
lectures and references, for which full
texts and lantern slides are supplied by
the Department. He will also be re-
sponsible for the laboratory equipment.
Every one who completes the course will
receive certificate from the State Col.
lege.
Not all of the States have yet agreed
to cooperate in this plan. Last winter
experiments along these lines we're car
ried out successfully In Pennsylvania,
and this has stimulated an interest in the
method 10 other States. In one OF the
Pennsylvania classes more men applied
than could be accommodated, and all of
the 20 men and Is women who began the
course completed 1t. Pennsylvania is
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 cooperate.
Ordinarily college In State usually
applies to the Department seeking its
cooperation, when sufficient interest has
been shown in the plan in several com.
munities where ten or more people have
sought the instruction. For financial
reasons, certain colleges are not so able
to engage In the work ss are others.
The advantage claimed for the new
home courses with local leaders and lab
oratory equipment over the ordinary cor
respondence courses is that only small
percentage of those who take the indi-
vidual correspondence course finish 1t.
Studying 10 group, with laboratory
work and leader, seems to stimulate
the interest and add a social feature
which lead the members of the group to
follow the work conscientiously and COM
plete It. Experiments with free GORE.
spondence courses show that while many
individuals gain advantage from them,
many others, because the material Is fur.
pished free, do not feel the same obliga
tion to complete them as they do when
they pay substantial sum of money for
the instruction.