Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-08-27
VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION
BY A. NJ. JORDAN.
Assistant Professor of Education,
University of Arkansas.

Commercial ami industrial educa-
Iticn are necessary in an age like ours.
The problem of misfits in industrial
work is continually before us. In
/ Gary, Indiana. thera is employed
man whose time is given to the fit
ting of the graduates of the school
into work for which they are best
suited. Others of the school who have
not finished are helped to get posi-
| tlo2s The skilled workman gets SO
much better pay and is so much bet
ter as citizen that it is abundantly
worth while to put in courses wher-
ever they are eded and wherever
they are practical. The great diff
Guilty in industrial education is in OBJ
tanning money to fit out the shops.
In some places this nroblem is met by
the cooperation of the employer with
the school SO that part of the time
may be spent in theory in school and
another part in the shops doing the
actual work. Arkansas has not had
as yet such pressing problem in
this as in other lines, but sooner or
later tn Sc things will come, for
manufacturing and industrial develop
ment along many lines is increasing
in the state
The Problem Here.
The great problem in the state of
Arkansas, however, is that of agrl-
cultural education. When a third of
the farmers in this state have no pigs.
nor cows, nor chickens. when in many
cases the farms are run down and
almost va1ueless when we see the
poor condition of the schools of the
state which ara directly dependent
upon the advancement of Arkansas
agriculturally then each one recog-
nizes the need Of agricultural educa
ton. The theoretical agricultural
teaching in the schools is OF little
value. We need to develop the theory
along with the practice But where
can this be done? In some places ex
peI'imental farms have been attached
to schools In other places the home
prof ct plan has been adopted. Here
in Arkansas the latter scheme has
been more successful. The boy study
ing agriculture takes a plat of land
and farms it in a scientific manner.
He sends to the division of extension
of the university and gets bulletins
concerning the particular thing that
he is doing. Then with the assistance
of the teacher he carries out the in
structions. He keeps a careful record
of expa mixtures and determines sclen-
tifically what is the income from
certain crop in comparison with other
crops. Instead of guessing he knows
the value of the crop. 1t Is hoped
that the time is very near when each
consolidated school in the rural dis
tricts shall employ a man for the
whole year, this mans business in the
summer to be to look after the home
projects of the boys and girls in agrl-
culture. Sooner or later the schools
are going to r"alize that what they
need to do more than anything else
is to prepare boys and girls to be
economically efficient. The division
of extension of the University of Ar
kansas is doing a great work in estab-
fishing pig, corn, tomato and other
clubs throughout the state. 12,500
boys have received instruction in corn
growing in SIX years. They have
demonstrated that on an average
Weld of forty bushels or more per
acre can be raised, and have doubled
the average yield of the state. They
have demonstrated that as many as
172 "a bushels can be produced on
one acre. About 5000 girls have re-
ceiyed instruction in the growing, can
ming and preserving of tomatoes ana
other vegetables and fruits. They
have demonstrated on their one-te2th
acre plats an average OF $1,000 net
profits p:r tenth acre can be mace,
and some have demonstrated that as
much as $3.50 can be made from oae-
tenth acre gardens. Thus we see wnat
can be done. Better crops prins
money Money brings magazines, ut
erature, travel, and education OF all
sorts. Better ministers can be EN-
ployed in the country churches with
money better roads may be built anu
all good things be improved.
VIM