The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-11-12
VOCATIONAL
AGRICULTURE
Not Generally Known That Denis0n
High School Offers Course in
Vocational Agriculture
THE MEANING OF THE TERM

THE MEANING OF THE TERM
To Fit One for Specific Occupation
! Boy Who Expects to Follow Farm. -
ing Should Study That Line
It does not seem to be known gener.
ally that the Denison high school Of.
/ fers a course in vocational agriculture.
Neither is it likely that many people
understand just what is meant by the
| term vocational agriculture. For that
reason brief explanation is in order.
A mans occupation Is his vocation.
Vocational education of any sort then,
, is education intended to fit one for a
specific occupation. That part of a
mans education that fits him to be.
! come a lawyer, or a doctor, or a preach
er, as the case may be, Is strictly vOca-
tional. And so it should be for the boy
who expects to become a farmer. It is
evident to all that a part, at least, of
his education should be different from
what it would be If he were to become
a lawyer or a doctor. If a boy Is to be
a farmer his education should be large
ly along farm lines. Briefly then, vo.
cational agriculture education Is educa.
ton that fits one to farm.
The federal government encourages
vocational education in agriculture and
Ill Iue 1lluuSITldl ANY
school corporation may establish cOurS.
es in vocational subjects and federal
aid to an amount equal to one.half of
the salary of the teacher of those sub
jectS is granted to such schools as meet
certain requirements laid down by the
federal and state boards Of vocational
education.
The requirements of teachers Of vo.
cational subjects are especially high.
Only those teachers whose education
and experience are of superior degree
are permitted to teach vocational sub
jects. Teachers Of vocational agricul.
ture in Iowa must be graduates of one
of the four year courses in agriculture
at Ames. He must have had special
preparation in teachers training cours.
es and must have had extensive practi-
cal experience on the farm. It goes
without saying that men able to meet
the requirements for teachers Of vo-
cational agriculture command high
wages.
For more than year the Denison
vocational agriculture. A larger at.
tendance of boys from the farms Of
Crawford county is desired and efforts
are being made to advertise the course
throughout the county.
The following is a copy of a letter
sent to a number of Crawford county
boys who have finished the etgth grade
course in the rural schools during the
past few years. Crawford county is
preeminently an agricultural county
and we believe study Of agriculture
such as is suggested in the letter would
be of much benefit to all boys and
young men Of the county who are inter:
ested in better farming. The invitation
to attend school is extended to all and
we hope a considerable number Of our
boys and young men will respond to the
invitation and arrange to attend school
this winter for at least two or three
months. Following is the letter:
Dear Sir: ir
County Superintendent Olry as one
likely to be interested in our school
work in vocational agriculture. This
letter is to explain briefly to you the
nature Of the work and to invite you to
come and study farming topics with US.
You probably know that as an eighth
grade graduate your high school tuition
fees must be paid by your school dis
trict so your only expenses will be for
board and room and a few books.
Vocational agriculture is the study
and the practice of actual farming as
carried on by successful farmers of this
county, this state and elsewhere. Only
boys who are fourteen years of age or
older who will agree to do six months
of supervised farming ION his own home
farm. if possible) can enter classes in
vocational agriculture. Vocational ag-
riculture is for boys (and men) who ex-
pect to be farmers-good, successful
farmers, too. .a.. ". ,1. ~.
The class this year Is studying about
farm animals-hOw to select good ones
IN ca IN
make the most out of them. To do this
we go to farms where we can see good
stock and learn how 1t Is cared for as
well as study books about them and
then when you are on the farm you
will be expected to put into practice
what you have learned.
Our other class work in agriculture
the first half of this year Is the making
of things useful and needed on the
farm-farm shop work, it is called. One
boy has already this fall made a hog
loading chute, dehorning chute for
cattle and chute for holding hogs
while they are being ringed. Others
have made doubletrees. self feeders (for
hogs and for poultry, ladders, etc. Each
boy chooses what he shall make, fur
nishes the material for it and the ar
ticle is his when it is made. The
whole of each afternoon Is devoted to
agriculture while the forenoons are de-
voted to other subjects. Boys taking
vocational agriculture have their choice
of other subjects for study.
The work in agriculture is arranged
so that % boy may enter school at any
time and leave whenever necessary.
The earlier he enters and the longer
he remains the more he should get out
of the work. We would be glad to
have you come and study farm prob.
lens with us. Come next week or the
week after If you can. If you can't
come as soon, come as soon as you can.
The door of our school swings open
and you are invited to come in. If you
have any questions to ask shall be
glad to answer them. \if possible.
Hoping to have you with us in the
near future. I am, Very truly yours.
w. w. STANFIELD.
Instructor in Agriculture,
Denison High School.
L., da