The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-07-30
! HOME CLASSES
In Practical Farming and Domestic Science
for Groups Of Farm Workers.

In Practical Farming and Domestic Science
! for Groups Of Farm Workers.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. July II. 1914. A
plan whereby ten or more farmers or
farm women can form home classes in
agriculture or domestic science and re-
ceive the textbooks, lectures, lantern
slides, laboratory 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 ac-
cessible at home, to men and women
who have not the means to attend the
regular courses at the colleges, practi-
cal 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, dairying, butter
making, and farm bookkeeping; and for
the women especially. courses in the
preparation, cooking and use of vegeta-
BILE 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 reference library. The text
books and lectures will be made so com
plete that each group can safely appoint
one of it's members as study leader to
direct 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 organize sample
class and assist tie leader whom they
elect in laying out the work and in show
ing him the best methods of procedure.
The classes commonly are held from s
to IL in the morning and from l to 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 as before and after
the instruction period. The classes meet
commonly at the most convenient farm
house. During the morning hours, text
book work is done. In the afternoon
laboratory work is conducted, and the
women who have elected to take the do
nestle science courses have practical
lessons in cooking.
As soon as a class is established, the
State organizer withdraws to start a
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 Department in carry |
ing on the work.
AS there is no regularly paid instructor,
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 respon-
sible for the laboratory equipment.
Every one who completes the course will
receive certificate from the State
College.
Not all of the States have yet agreed
to cooperate in this plan. Last winter
along these lines were car
ried 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 Is 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, have signi-
fled their willingness to cooperate.
Ordinarily a 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 as are others.
The advantages claimed for the new
home courses with local leaders and lab
oratory equipment over the ordinary
correspondence courses is that only a
small percentage of those who take the
individual correspondence course finlsh.it.
Studying in group, with laboratory
work and a leader, seems to stimulate
the interest and add social feature
which leads the members of the group to
follow the work conscientiously and COM
plete it. Experiments with free cores
pondence courses show that while many
individuals gain advantage from them,
many others, because the material is fur
nished free. do not feel the same obllga-
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