The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-02-13
Agriculture In the Normal School.
CONTINUED from page ~

State was doing SO or not dld hoe
matter; Lawrence needed better
methods of agriculture on the farms
and 80 he started agriculture and
domestic economy in his schools. NO
sentiment about 1t; Just his way oil
supplying one Of the most funda-
mental needs of his people.
Rowan county Is another place
where the people have walked up ana
are handling their own affairs oven
before the matter has been passed
upon by the General Assembly. Row
an has about $500 people, about ~
600 horses, something over 500
mules, about 300 head of cattle
and something like 5000 hogs. In
l19O9 Rowan produced 244,7OS bush
els OF corn. If this were distributed
In equal amount among all the peo-
pie and the livestock there would be
nothing like enough to supply all
the stock and the human beings for
a year. Meal must be. brought In
for the table and feed must be Sc
cured elsewhere to supplement the
stock food produced on the farms.
This must be done in spite OF the
fact that the farmers OF Rowan are
as thrifty as those OF any ohter
mountain county.
Although such work Is not re-
quired by the school law, practical
ly every school in the county has
been teaching agriculture and home
economies in some form. The ex-su-
perintendent, Mrs. Cora Wilson Stew
art, realized that something had to
be done, and, being a woman who
never has to be given a hint the
second time, she got to work and
started things in her county schools
that will make more meat and
bread for her people in the future.
The average yield of this county is
less than twenty bushels OF corn
per acre, but one boy produced near
lily ninety bushels on an acre, thus
demonstrating the possibility of the
soil and the practicability of scien-
, tific methods OF corn culture. II one
boy can produce eighty-six bushels
of corn on an acre why cant nearly
every farmer In the county do so?
II every farmer in the county could
produce just one more bushel to the
acre the wealth OF the county would
be increased over $4,000 the first
! year. There was no sentiment at the
; back of this movement; 1t was the
, answer TO demand OF the future
I Mrs. Stewart saw the situation as q
few others have seen 1.-THE abso-
Lutte necessity of having instruc-
! ton given TO boys and girls In the
thing upon which their very exis-
, tence depends. 1t was not a ques-
ton OF being different from others;
it was question where bank &C
count and table and smokehouse
children, family welfare and com
munity progress all depends.
In other counties where work OF
this kind has been done, Davis, OF
Whitley county, johnson, OF Laurel
county; Jayne OF Boyd county, and
others in the mountain end of the
State have realized that there IL
very great need OF having instruc'
ton in the affairs OF farm life for
) the young people. and have encour'
i. aged such work with excellent re
suits. 1t was not done for show, but
was done because the population II
these counties is increasing. the
sources of revenue are decreasing
the soil is the one great source Of
income left to the people, and those
who do not know how to get the
/, most out of the soil, and at the
same time preserve it, must be
taught how these things are done
These people are the leaders of 9
better day for the mountains. They
know, even If others do not, that tn
teaching of agriculture In the rura
, schools is an absolute necessity, ant
will become more necessary will
each passing year.
Now, the Eastern Kentucky Nor
NAL School has been planning fol
some time to meet this demand II
this end Of the State. The men al
I, Richmond know what the needs o.
Eastern Kentucky are They know
that something has got to be done
: to enable the people to produce nor
i per acre and they believe that the
a best way to do that Is to have boys
and girls taught such things in the
rural schools. 1t Is not sentiment,
1t Is not for the purpose of being
. up-to-date; 1t is for the purpose o.
/, bringing better economic condition.
/, to the people In this portion Of the
4 Commonwealth. They realize tha
n this thing ought to be done, ant
n that 1t must be done. The time'