Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-08-13
COURSE OF STUDY
FOR FARM WORKER
The Plan Outlined by the
Government.
TEXT BOOKS &LECTURES
Interesting and Profitable Courses
Prepared for Farm
Folk.

pan whereby Ten OF more far-
mers OF farm women can form home
classes in agriculture or domestic
science and receive the textbooks. lec-
lures, lantern slides, laboratory and
cooking equipment necessary to con-
duct them has been devised by the
y. 5. Department of Agriculture in
cooperation with agricultural col
leges of certain States.
The object of the plan is to make
accessible at home. to men and wo-
men who have not the time or means
to attend 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
to 20 lectures, and will consume five
or more weeks, can be arranged to
suit the spare time and convenience
OF each group of people.
+ 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 vegetable 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 500 and a ref
erence library. The textbooks and
lectures will be made so complete
that each group can safely appoint
one of its members as study leader to
direct the work Of the course.
When group has decided to take
up the work, the State which cooper
ates sends an agent with the depart
| ment's representatives to organize a
sample class and assist the leaders
whom they elect in laying out the
work and in showing him the best
methods of procedure. The classes
commonly are held from 8 to IL in
the morning and from l to 4 in the
afternoon, two or three days each
week. The sessions are not held ey-
| cry day, so that the members will
have time to attend to their farm du-
ties in between sessions, as well as
before and after the instruction per-
lod. The classes meet commonly at
the most convenient farm house. Dur
ing the morning hours, textbook
work is done. In the afternoon la
boratory work is conducted, and the
women who have elected to take the
domestic science courses have practi-
cal lessons in cooking.
AS soou as a class is established,
the State organizer withdraws to start
class In some other district The
work thereafter is left in charge of
the leader, who receives assistance by
mail from the college or the depart
ment il carrying on the work.
AS there is no regularly paid in
structor, classes can be carried on all
over the State as rapidly as the col
leger organizer can visit the groups.
and as quickly as the laboratory sets
supplied by the college become avail
able. The local leader will preside
during tie reading of the lectures and
references, for which full texts and
lantern slides are supplied by the de-
partment. He will also be response
BILE for the laboratory equipment. Ev-
cry one who completes the course will
receive certificate from the State
College.
Not all of the States have vet
agreed to cooperate in this plan. Last
winter experiments along these lines
were carried 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 20
men and 10 women who began the
course completed it. 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