The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-02-18
A Fulton County Joseph.

es the spot, and inspires him to
greater efforts as the words Of
appreciation that come from the
readers of his paper. Fulton, be-
ing a purely agricultural county,
the NEWS makes it a point. first,
to furnish its readers with a COM
plete chronicle of the weeks hap
penings, and, last, to be helpful
in every way as it is possible for
it to be.
In a recent letter from a form
er Fulton County teacher, but who
now receives mail at a street adj
dress in one Of our hustling cit
les, he says, II am very much
pleased that you are devoting so
much space in the NEWS to farm
ing and farm life. | read every
line of it with interest. 1t touch
es the home cor ditions as no farm
paper could do. While | hold a
good position in this city, | am
looking forward to the time when
| will own a farm and return to
the country. / must tell you of
a dream l had a few nights ago
a real dream while fast asleep.
| dreamed | had completed a sci
entific course in Agriculture, and
was back in Fulton county teach
ing school again. The term was
nine months instead of seven as
now. The course of study in the
public schools had undergone
much change. Many things we
used to spend much time on, were
thrown out, and the old course
much abbreviated. Every min
ute spent in school was now de-
voted to something that would be
of real, helpful, value to the boy
after he had gone out from school.
The study Of agriculture had been
introduced, and the time we used
to spend on fox and hound and
age problems. was now devoted
to studying the names and habits
of the plants that grew in the
neighborhood their names, how
they grew, their uses, the nature
of the soil in which they grew.
The pupils were wild-not with
mischief, but with enthusiasm,
and l, as their teacher, was help
ing to fit them up for the work
of real life.
Adjoining the play ground, and
in connection with the school, we
had a farm of 40 acres which we
used as our experiment station.
On this farm, which was divided
up into small fields, we studied
methods of getting sod, or get
ting more hay, how to get a per-
manent pasture, how to get larg-
er yields, the effect of the diff
ferent kinds of fertilizer used,
and figure the net profit or loss
of each process.
The school term being longer
the regular school branches were
not neglected. On nice days |
would take the pupils out and
give them a lesson on pruning;
and, in planting season, show
them how to plant by having
them help. Each Saturday aft
ernoon the grown up folks in the
neighborhood would come and
take a lesson on farming. | can
still see the farmers coming in
on Saturday and how they be-
came interested as showed them
over the farm and explained each
method used. | dreamed that
the Saturday afternoon class was
kept up all summer and was the
most interesting of the lot. !
dreamed there was a house and
a barn on the place in which
lived; and that | got $125 a month
for my work.
We kept some thorough bred
stock and kept an account of
everything used, everything sold
and everything given away; for
we gave away seed to the entire
district.
In my mind | can still see how
beautiful the entire place was