The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-08-27

A plan whereby 10 or more farm
ers or farm women can form home
classes in agriculture or domestic
science and receive the textbooks,
lectures. lantern slides, laboratory
and cooking equipment necessary
to conduct them has been devised
by the 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 women who have not the time
or means to attend the regular
courses at the colleges, pratical
short courses in agriculture and
home management specially adapt
ed to their districts These courses
which will consist of Is to 20 lee
lures, will consume five or more
weeks, can be arranged to suit the
group of people.
The courses to be offered at
first are poultry raising, fruit
growing, soils, cheese manu-
featuring, dairying. butter max
ing 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 lab
oratory and cooking apparatus val
ued at $100 and a reference libra
ry. The textbooks and lectures
will be made so complete that each
group can safely appoint one of
its members as study leader 10 di-
rect the work of the course.
When a group has decided to
take up the work, the state which
cooperates sends an agent with the
departments representative to Or
ganize sample class and assist The
leader whom they elect in laying
out the work and in showing MIN
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 every day.. SO that the
members 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 con-
yenient farmhouse. During the
morning hours, textbook work is
done. In the afternoon laboratory
work is conducted. and the women
who have elected to take the do
mestic science courses have practi-
cal lessons in cooking.
AS soon as a class is established,
the state organizer withdraws 10
start a class in some other district
The work thereafter is left in charge
of the leader, who receives assist
ance by mail from the college or
the department in 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
college organizer can visit the group
and as quickly as the laboratory
sets supplied by the college become
available.
The local leader will pre-
side during the reading of the
lectures and references. for
which full texts. and lantern
slides are supplied by the de-
partment. He will also be re-
sponsible for the laboratory
equipment Every one who
completes the course Will re-
ceiye certificate from The
state college.
Not all of the states have yet
agreed to cooperate in this plan.
Last winter experiments along these
lines were carried out successfully
in Pennsylvania. and this has stim-
ulated an interest in the method IN
other states. In one of the Penn
sy'yania classes more men applied
than conld be accommodated, ana
all of the 20 men and is women
who began the course completed 1t.
Pennsylvania is now arranging FOL
classes. while Massachusetts. Michi-
gan. Vermont and Florida expect
to take up the work. Other states