The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-11
SHORT COURSE 1T CLEMSON.
COUNTRY MINISTER'S, TEACHERS
AND FARMERS AMONG THE
154 STUDENTS ENROLL. 4.
ED.
Session Lasted Four Weeks and Those
Who Attended Were Greatly Bene-
flied.

Clemson College, Sept. 5.-What
was without doubt the most successful
short course ever given at Clemson
College has just closed. One hun.
dred and fifty-four were enrolled i'm
the five divisions of the summer
school and there We're very few who
did not remain to the end Of their
course. There is general satisfaction
with the success of the summer
school and it is believed that this is
but the beginning of a series of most
successful summer sessions.
The committee in charge of the
summer school consisted of DR.. F. H..
II. Calhoun, chairman; Profs. H. w.
Barre and w. w. Long, Mr.. J. c. Lit
tlejohn and the Rev. w. H. Mills. The
154 students enrolled were divided as
follows: Country ministers, 12; farm
ers. 2S; cotton grading students, 81;
corn club boys, 81; rural school teach
ers, 2. The school opened August .
and continued for four weeks.
L
Probably the two most interesting
features Of the school were the couu-
try ministers course and the corn cluo
boys course. These were the first OF
their kinds in the State and the coun-
try ministers course was the first Of
its Kind In the South. The twelve ru-
raj preachers who came to the school
received instruction in practical agri-
culture as well as in the theories Of
rural economies, and they expressed
the opinion, when leaving, that the
course had fitted them o do better
and more understanding work than
ever before for the people of their
communities.
AS for the 81 prize-winning corn
club boys, representing practically
every county in the State, their stay at
the college was certainly productive OF
results. In the first place, the boys
learned much about scientific agricuI-
ture. They used specially prepared
text books written in language they
could understand. They also had spe-
cially selected instructors who took
great pains with them. The course
made the boys ambitious for more
learning as was evidenced by the fact
that rs per cent of them, at the close
of the session, declared their intention
to take full course at an agricultural
college If it were possible. - .''..'
But aside from what they learned
from their books and instructors, the
corn boys received other benefits from
their course which are just as real
and will probably be of much value to
them. For many of the boys, it was
the first trip away from home. There
were numerous cases of homsick-
ness and, indeed, had the course last
ed only two weeks it probably would
not have been a success. But the boys
soon got used to their absence from
home and came to take an interest in
their companions and surroundings.
For most Of these lads it was the first
adventure with the outside world.
Moreover, the boys were taught to
|play as well as to work and every af-
lternoon was spent in athletic sports.
! There is no room to doubt that for
1.-THE boys the Clemson College summer
school was highly successful under
taking.
The farmers who attended had
thorough course in the elements Of
scientific agriculture, each week be-
ing devoted to one major subject. The
course in cotton grading also proved
productive of excellent results. A
feature of this course was the fine
class of the students.
1t is likely that Clemson College
will hold a summr school next year
and each subsequent year, and there
are reasons to believe that what has
been done this summer was only the
beginning of something greater.