204 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE- 



a way that he wants fine things unless it leads him to see those 

 things in their true values and right relations, and unless he be- 

 comes able to get honestly the things his taste leads him to de- 

 sire or to need. 



SHOULD HELP STUDENT TO FACE LIFE. 



Maine secondary schools in both country and city should pay 

 increasing attention to the problems that are so soon to press 

 upon their young students. The individual and society will 

 suffer unless these young men and women are led through 

 their education to realize that its goal is service and unless to 

 some extent they get a realization of the ways in which they 

 are best adapted to serve. 



AGRICULTURE IN RURAL HIGH SCHOOLS. 



Rural high schools should pay greater attention to agriculture 

 in all its forms. This attention may come in many cases 

 through subjects now oft'ered. Chemistry for example is being 

 removed from the field of the abstract and is being made speci- 

 fically to apply to soil study, food values and other specific 

 ends. Chemistry is not less valuable, but it is more valuable 

 when given this concrete application. The comparison may be 

 made of many of the already accepted subjects of the secondary 

 schools. There are schools that should go beyond this, how- 

 ever. Some that have proper equipment and adequate public 

 sentiment as a support should frankly enter the ranks of special 

 vocational schools, making the agricultural course a central and 

 controlling purpose of the institution. A few schools such as 

 Parsonsfield Seminary are already doing this and from being 

 schools of somewhat uncertain mission are becoming strong and 

 virile with the new purpose. Maine ought to have at least 

 twenty schools that should frankly and avowedly undertake 

 seriously agricultural courses. With the large number of secon- 

 dary schools in Maine it would appear to be unnecessary and 

 unfortunate to increase the number of institutions. Some of 

 these we already have are admirably situated for the purpose. 



