Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-06-27
AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURE in THE RURAL
SCHOOLS.

1oW can we NllallZe the teaching
&C agriculture in the rural schools
Nc more important problem is pre-
scented to American educators to-day.
1t can be solved in but one way:
Rotate the subjects.
This will prevent skimming and
iepet .tion. 1t will sustain interest
keep the subject alive.
The teaching of agriculture in ru-
raj schools never will be success so
long as they teach the same thing
over and over again year after year,
or allow the teacher to skim all the
branches and leave subject barren
and uninteresting for the teacher who
follows the next year.
In one-room schools all children in
the lower grades become as familiar
with subjects taught in the seventh
and eighth grades as do their older
brothers and sisters. By rotating the
subjects a new field is opened to the
pupils each year.
Rotation of subjects means the
teaching of but one class of subjects
each year, such as:
First year-Farm crops, corn, al
falfa, weeds, seeds, gardens land for
girls, sewing, etc.
Second Year-The Making of things
Tying and splicing rope, cement
work, making fly traps, screens, can
ming, etc.
Third Year-Animals, Live stock,
feeding, testing milk, diseases and
notwithstanding, etc.
Fourth Year-Soil and Home-Sav-
ing moisture, rotation of crops, soil
fertility, sanitation, flowers, pictures,
etc.
Rotating of subjects:
Enables the teacher to teach more
agriculture; eliminates repetition;
gives a new subject each year; keeps
interest alive and keen; does not kill
the subject by skimming or teaching
the same thing over and over again;
makes the directing of the work much
easier for the County superintendent,
who always has more than he can do.
instead of having several lines of in
struction to prepare each year, he will
have but one.
Agriculture will ultimately be
taught in all the rural schools. In Ok
lahoma it is required by the state con-
stitution, in other states, by law. Some
states have tried it, but in a ht-and-
miss fashion. They have skinned
through books; taught words, not
things; repeated the same subjecs ev-
cry year; killed interest; made agri-
culture dead letter
If we would teach agriculture in a
way to bring the best results, we must
keep it alive-must develop interest
must rotate the subjects.
Agriculture can not be successfully
introduced in all the rural schools in
any state or any county at the same
time. It must grow into the schools.
That is the basis Of the plan adopted
in Oklahoma.
They selected IL county superin-
tendents who are live wires. These
superintendent held three day meet
ing, studied how to teach a few def
mite things and collected the neces-
sary demonstration material.
Each of these superintendent Sc
lected from four to a dozen Of his
best teachers in whose schools agri-
culture were being taught that year.
These teachers were given special in
struction at the Teachers Institutes.
When the school year opened the
County superintendent and his assist
ants visited one of these schools and
assisted the teacher in starting the
work right. Then a second school was
visited land third, and so on. The
work of the superintendent was SIM
plified, concentrated, made more eff
fective.
The next year other counties and
| w LSA SSllOOlo WClC ASIlCul-
ture will grow into the schools. In 4
or five years it will be taught in every
rural school in the state-and taught
in the right way.
And the word, agriculture" is used
here to mean anything pertaining to
the life and welfare of the children
| IL.
health, sanitation, social conditions,
home conveniences, community inter.
est, as well as the things having to do
directly with farming.
MANURE AIDS PRODUCTION.
No soil is so fertile that it's produc-
ing power is not decreased by contin-
ued cropping, which takes away fer