The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-02
ONE economics and industrial suit
Agricultural Fdmcntion.

Agricultural Education.
The agricultural schools likewise
must be under public supervision and
control and their controlling purpose
must he to ~ for useful employment.
The curriculum must be les5 than cot
lege grede and must be designed TO
meet the needs of persons over four
teen years of age. who have entered
upon, or expect to enter upon, the
work of farm or farm home. Three
hours per day viii be given to sub
iects of instruction which will broaden
the puhir or supplement the work in
agriculture ana the remaining time,
which will not he less than fifteen
hours per week will be given TO the
study of agriculture, theoretical and
practical,
Every school must have a farm of
Mt least five acres. owned or leased by
the school, and the equipment neces-
sarY for a well-rounded course OF
study and to do efficient work.
The course of study VIII be ar
ranged briefly as follows English,
history, ci,ics. mathematics, science.
and other related work, three hours
per day, Theoretical and practical
agriculture. with al least sly months
Of practical work on farm each year
aVerAEiug three hours per day inc
subjects in agriculture will include the
following. plant production, animal
production, horticulture rural engi-
neering. farm mechanics, rural econ
omtcs, farm management, dairying.
poultry. vegetable gardening and
forestry.
Academic work will Ne taught in
such way as to stimulate a love for
country. a knowledge of civics' and
rood citizenship; home reading will tie
encouraged and the courses will be
carefully correlated with agricultural
subjects Ordinary manual training
.s,an not be paid for under the prop-
sions OF the Smith-Huehes act, MAI
woodwork will be taught as an N
cidentaI subject TO agriculture ~ IN
the making of pillow beams, Whf1le
trees. boxes for testing seed, ana gen
eral repair work. Forge work VIII
be given 80 that the principles Of
welding aud horseshoejng. temperiuG
and sharpening Of tools may BE learn
ed. Ora wing will also be taught incl
dentally. Including the making OF
plans for barns tools. models or
chicken houses. etc. Carpentry VIII
be taught incidentally in the building
or zig sites poultry houses, hay mo#s,
farm gates, repairing of farm ouiia-
ingS. etc The pupils viii he encour-
aged to have definite crops at nome
which viii he under the supervision
of the director or teacher ct agr'coi~
ture
1t Is provided that all schools re-
ceiyfrr federal money, shall make pro-
visfs.n for supervised practical work
on The school or other farms for al
least six months each year. Al farm
work. whether at school or home,
shall be supervised by the director
or teacher Ct agriculture who shall
lie employed for twelve months IN
tho wear,
Teacher Training.
81" he training of teachers ptnglue''
in the smith Hughes act will be I'm
deitaken by 1T institutions Of hisner
learning and shall not dwell upon
that subject At Ire present time furth-
or than to remark that II Is recon-
roended that women As we'll as men
he, trained 10 tes ch agriculture.
.'rhe \irr' MIA act is somewhat
broader than he federal act Manual
rrainine courses may be paid for out
7 II The virginia fund as well az courses
( in domestic science None or the
federal funds s available for courses
/ I'm manual trait girg and only a shtti
portion oil Ire fund given 70 tFaae'
1 horae economics and industrial SO
/ iects is available for courses III 40
nestle scit nee.
'On this occasion 7 shall dwell par
! ticglariv ora the Agricultural asReets
Eof the Smith. Hughes fund and the eN-
penditure of the $4,000 III divided Ter
Under that section Of the act, We are
lstruck with the practical nature o.
The work crowded for ia tie htH ana
s insisted upon by the fedeI al cpmlnis-
sion Not less than six months or su-
perv{ged work on the school farm or
other farms is insisted upon IN every
ease. Th,s requirement presents quite
( n nrohIera la The case or boy ~ho
RI boarding away from ho ne. II Is
( EASY enough fnr the student who re-
mains al the agricultural school all
tfe year and works on tho farm con-
/ nertaf with the school which he a.
itenAs 10 have the project provided
for IN the regulations. The 81 me is
| trna ar the boy who can live AZ home
Land work on his own land, but the
rupa who attends boarding school
fcg nine months and spends the rest
nrthe time st home will find it diiff-
1 cult TO piece his home project ana ilis
school rtolect together 50 rs TO make
fup the required six months, shat
{ H., greatly Interested to observe how
| the state Inspector works out this
y aother tificulty has arisen In
tthc cage ~ she agricultural teacher