No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 269 



many individuals who cannot enjoy the boundless pleasures of a 

 good book when they have the opportunity. The habit of reading 

 is one which should be learned by every individual, so that in any ex- 

 perience which they may be called to realize, they may still have de- 

 pendence on that one companion, a book. For he that is the pos- 

 sessor of a good book is not alone or deprived of all the jdeasures 

 afforded by this busy world. 



The greatest care should be taken in selecting school libraries, in 

 order that their contents may be within the comprehension of the 

 l)upils. They should be a practical and helpful part of the equip- 

 ment of the school; interesting and instructing along proper educa- 

 tional lines. The classes of books should range according to the 

 grades of the pupils because books wliich w'ould be attractive and 

 instructive to one grade, would be uninteresting to the others. But 

 the contents of all school libraries should be based on books of an 

 historical nature. 



Means should be used to obtain the much-needed libraries in our 

 schools. We should try to impress the idea uppn the minds of the 

 parents of the vast importance of school libraries, and if interest 

 could be aroused in the citizens of the various districts, similar effects 

 would be found to exist on the part of the school board. 



The subject in discussion may meet with much opposition, such as 

 a lack of time in our public schools for any time to be devoted to such 

 resources, or if pupils become interested in the library, the result 

 would be deficient interest in their text-books. But if conducted in 

 the proper channel, the effect would be Avholly in the opposite direc- 

 tion. Perhaps the cause of this opposition is on account of people 

 not realizing the importance of the matter. But this is an important 

 subject and deserves thoughtful consideration. And if this subject 

 be treated in the proper manner, the result will be the possession of a 

 librarv in each of our district schools. 



THE BETTERMENT OF RURAL SCHOOLS FOR THE BENEFIT 



OF THE FARMER. 



BY JOHN J. HEILMAN, Walberts, Lehigh County, Pa. 



I shall by no means endeavor to say that the rural schools of our 

 State to-day are not good. All my purpose is to reason with you 

 and explain some few facts which might be done under the conditions 

 now existing, and finally explain my own opinion of rural schools. 

 All, however, are agreed that in rural schools, ungraded as we have 

 them largely to-day, no satisfactory work can be done. 



