Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-05-06
AAtTsrftlE ct4Aekss N: AkRi.
CULTUHk IN IOWA.


AAR,TsritiE ciAf1as n. Aksi-
CULTUHk IN IOWA.
The Iowa State Board for voea-
tfonal Education is carrying on in
four counties part-time dull-season
short courses in agriculture. There
are 10 centers of instruction located
in each of these four counties.
These classes are open to persons
of any age above Ia engaged in farm
ing and unable to attend a day voca-
tional agricultural class. The schools
are in session five days per week for
q period of ten weeks. The courses
are adapted to meet the local condi-
tions and the special needs of the
members of the class.
Classroom and laboratory instruc-
ton is given during the time that the
class is in session by instructors
employed to assist the organizer in
this instruction, and the carrying ov-
err Of the principles taught in the
classroom to the farm is secured by
having the man in charge of the in
structional work in the county hired
for full period of IL months. After
the classes are closed, this man de-
votes his time entirely to working
individually with the members Of the
class upon their home-farm prob
lens.
During the time of class instruction
ene-fourth of the time is given to
farm crops, one-fourth to animal hus-
bandry, one-fourth to farm shop,
tractors, farm engineering, ETC., and
one-fourth to arithmetic, bills, let
tiers, and records.
In each county one person is en-
ployed for ~ months as organizer and
follow up instructor. He organizes
the groups, instructs one group, and
supervises the applied work Of his
own and allied nearby groups which
may be organized to take instruction
similar to the work given to his own
group. The four organizers who are
at present employed for the full year
are practical farmers who have had
four years of college work in agri-
culture.
Seven of the instructors are prac-
teal farmers now engaged in farming
who have had four years of college
work in agriculture. Three of the in
structors now engaget in farming are
graduates Of liberal arts college
with successful experience as teach
ers. One Of the instructors is prac.
teal farmer now engaged in farming
and is graduate Of non-collegiate
school of agriculture. Four Of the
instructors are senior students in the
agricultural college who have made
special preparation for teaching anc
who have had years Of practical ex.
perience in farming.
Each class has been supplied with
about $50 worth Of books and charts
also standard samples Of grains, soils
etc, from the agricultural college
These are provided by the county OF
local district where the class 10 con.
Quoted.
In addition the State Library Com
mission has supplied by loan for the
term to each of the centers As books
about 40 Of which in each case relate
to some phase Of agriculture or the
farming business, while the others
are intended as entertaining reading
matter for the people in the COM
munity. This provided from 80 to 100
books for the use of the class in each
Of the communities.
In addition to this library of books
and charts, 200 bulletins from the
United States Department Of Agri-
culture and the State Agricultural
College have been secured for each
center. Grains and other materials
from the farms that may be used in
classroom and laboratory are easily
available in each community.
There are on an average 1900
acres of equipped Iowa farm land
represented in each class and in ad-
dition there are several times that
amount available for visitation for
the study of pure-bred stock, farm
equipment, and the like.
The State director reports that the
interest on the part of the boys in at
tendance is exceptionally fine; that
the parents and leaders in the var
ious communities are supporting the
work in a hearty manner. AS a
movement in the State this work is
reaching, directly through the farms
represented by class members, from
10000 to $4,000 acres of equipped
Iowa farm land. This is not count
ing other farm land in each commune
ty available for teaching purposes,
but is the land to which improve
nents in farming operations will be
applied by the boys and men in at
tendance at the classes.