St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-01-06
SCHOOL CONTESTS
Supt. Burbank Tells What Has
Been Done To Interest Children
In Agriculture.

should make it easier for our chill
dren to 60 toward farming than
away from it, the union superin-
tendent of the schools of Barnet,
Danville, Peacham and Walden, be-
gan in 1909 to encourage the chill
dren to do home work outside of
books. Exhibits of farm crops,
cooking and hand work generally,
were held in connection with the
teachers meetings during the fall
term. The experiences of county SUI
perintendents of western states, with
the publications of the Vermont and
United States departments of agri-
culture, were taken as a guide. For
several years the results were small,
but some very good work was done.
In the absence of any premiums for
excellence, and because it could not
be said that the people were GER
tainly in favor of it, the work could
not be made so successful as it ought
to have been. So in the annual
town meetings of 1913, money was
asked for to carry on the work. In
two of the towns, the matter not be-
ing explained to the voters, the ar
ticle was passed over by acclama-
ton.
In Walden, money was voted
though explanation was necessary
In Danville, the home of the super
intendent, $25 was voted on his mo-
ton with no dissenting vote. The
school directors and people have
aided earnestly in the work. In that
seasons work in Walden log of the
129 pupils took part, and Danville
did nearly as well. The exhibits at
the close of the contest early in Oc-
tober were very good. County Ad-
wiser, S. N. Stimson acted with the
judges and delivered an address in
each town which did much toward
the success of the next year.
In March, 1914, all the towns
voted to appropriate money to carry
on the work Danville again voted
$25 and the work was very success
fully directed by Town Superintend-
ent w. ]. Rideout. The days for the
exhibits and awarding of honors in
Walden, Peacham and Barnet were
Sept. %, "a and rs, respectively.
With local judges Mr.. Stimson again
acted, as did Professors F. B. jerks
and Edwin L. Ingalls, of the State
College of Agriculture at Burlington.
Each gave addresses in which many
valuable suggestions as to future
work were given.
1t is believed that the work has
proved itself of such value that there
will be no dissenting voice as to its
continuance. A meeting of the pu-
pills will be held in each town dur
ing the winter vacation to lay out
the work for next season. That the
work may be put on the same basis
as recommended by the United
States government, one or more of
the above named gentlemen will at
tend to suggest or direct. Profess
sor ingalls,, as director of boys and
girls club work for the United States
department of agriculture, devotes
his entire time to the work in Yer
mont. He served the people seven
years as a union superintendent of
schools in Windsor county, and was
very successful in directing the club
work there.
Meier's very practical book on
''School and Home Gardens" is now
in use in the Barnet schools. 1t
was also given as a prize in the
speaking and spelling contests in
the several towns last winter.
Took Up Seed Testing.
In 1914 seed testing, which had
before been done in some of the
schools, was taken up by all schools
under the direction of the superin-
tendent, and the county adviser who
aided in the obtaining of material,
and in the way of conducting the
tests. In some schools each pupil
took part, some testing several
kinds of seeds. In each school the
teacher conducted at least five tests
before the pupils. This will be con-
tinued. AS far as possible the seed
tested is taken from seed to be
planted. and a report is made of re-
suits to the farmers who furnish the
seed. 1t seems to the writer that
each town in Caledonia County could |
well afford TO vote its share to sup
port the work of the county ad-
wiser for its Influence in the school
work alone; not only in information |
and direction. but in Identifying |
farming by making clear to our chill
dren that farming is not simply "dig-
ging in the dirt" In the checking
of the trend of our young people |
city ward, it is certain to return
many times it's costs, besides en-
abling those who choose farming
as an occupation to start out more
rather than being
obliged to get knowledge by the
hard knocks of experience as so
many have done.
We like best the work whose do
ing and value we thoroughly under
stand. The feeling that has been al
together too general, that farming is
of intelligent people, has
come largely from lack of definite
knowledge of the work. The schools
Of today should make every Young
person know enough of farming to
act intelligently in the choice of an
occupation. In a farming commun-
Itv. it should be made easy for one
who completes school life to take up
farming; though it would be main
Ifestly unfair to carry the agricul-
tura1 sentiment so far that a pupfI !
could not get reasonable prepare
ton for the study of any one of the
professions to which he or she
proved by nature to be adapted.
Value to the Children