TEACHING HORTICULTURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



By R. H. Weber, Commissioner for Fourth District. 



With the great "Back to the Farm" movement now in progress, and 

 which is particularly strong in the Pacific Northwest, the question as to 

 how are the city folk who answer nature's call and migrate back to soil 

 and nature prepared to cope with the difficulties confronting them in their 

 newly chosen vocation naturally arises. This question is difficult of Solu- 

 tion, and would suggest the necessity of reconstructing our methods and 

 System of public school education to include courses in agricultural and 

 horticultural training in all elementarv branches. Particularly is this 

 true of horticultural subjects, for if we are to grow "BETTER FRUIT" 

 we must of necessity have "BETTER FRUIT GROWERS," and to get 

 these requires training. True it is that our agricultural Colleges offer 

 some relief in this direction, but the students attending these institutions 

 are of an advanced age, and, lackinp- the elementary horticultural training 

 which should be supplied in our public schools, find themselves obliged in 

 early manhood to resort to a primer in the two most important Industries, 

 Agriculture and Horticulture. We, in Oregon, especially in those districts 

 where fruit growing is the principal industry. should insist on having 

 included in the curriculüm of our public schools the elementary principles 

 of this most important branch. 



Farm life of today, especially the remunerative horticultural branch, 

 offers splendid pecuniary rewards when carried on scientifically, and is a 

 most pleasant and attractive vocation. 



While there are on record cases of city-bred men having successfully 

 met and conquered the soil, it cannot be vouchsafed that they entered 

 upon their work without much trepidation such as would entirely be 

 eliminated with proper early traininsr in soil tillage. Why, with all 

 professional branches crowded to the starvation point, we should persist 

 in preparing a still greater army for the professions, to which our present 

 educational system leads, when the farm offers a ready Solution of the 

 Problem, is difficult of comprehension. 



With modern conveniences, such as gasoline engines, for instance, to 

 pump water and do innumerable other chores and supply power for 

 electric lighting, the farm offers irresistible attractions today that were 

 unknown to our fathers. 



Let US then break away from the old slip-shod way of farming without 

 any knowledge of the art bv inculcatinp- in the minds of the young in our 

 public schools the required knowledge that will enable them to enter upon 

 farm work v/ith a comprehension that will make it as fascinating as it is 

 bound to be profitable. 



The Problem of "HIGH COST OF LIVING" would readily be solved 

 by training the youthful minds of the urbanites along agricultural and 

 horticultural lines, thus creating in them a desire to remove into God's 

 free country, with its manv blessings, away from the contaminating influ- 

 ences of overcrowded tenement and other cheap lodging districts in our 

 large eitles, where thev would soon not only be self-sustaining by reason 

 of producing evervthing needed for their own wants, but assist in sup- 

 plying those who perforce were compelled bv circumstances or choice to 

 remain in their urban caves. 



Farming, no more than any other business. can be done by one who 

 does not know how, although it is a eood business, when properly con- 

 ducted by one who knows the business, for as it is, the man without 

 training or experience would be apt to nrove a dismal failure at farmine 

 as he would as a merchant or manufacturer, were he to enter this field 

 without training. 



Let US then make every endeavor to bring about a knowledge of farm- 

 ing among the masses, as a Solution of social and economic conditions 

 confronting the present and future generations. 



