Rural School Leaflet 813 



4. the granger 



I ROM past experience in our work connected 

 with the public schools of New York State, 

 we find that the opportunity to help country- 

 life education through the State College has 

 been greatly increased by the earnest effort of 

 men and women on the farms. They have 

 encouraged us in our endeavor to reach the boys 

 and girls ; they have encouraged the teacher to consider the educational 

 advantage to be gained by instruction that has direct relation to 

 country living; they have discussed rural education at meetings of the 

 grange and, in fact, have kept in touch with the progress of the times 

 in the interest of agricultural education. 



We are now ready to ask very concrete help from New York State 

 grangers. Their organization is conducted in a way that makes it possible 

 to be of great social service. There is no more important question before 

 the world to-day than the public school. To all grangers and to the staff 

 of the State College of Agriculture the rural school is of special interest. 

 We must look to education to bring about a more nearly ideal country 

 life. 



It is most significant that the educational world to-day is looking to 

 agriculture as a means to the fundamental preparation for life to which 

 all boys and girls have a right. As we have before stated in this leaflet, 

 agriculture provides wholesome, concrete labor which, if combined with 

 the intellectual processes necessary for its success, will make it 

 stand for an all-round development. A child trained through farm 

 practices and experiences the while he gains intelligent sympathy with 

 natiu-e, is receiving valuable education. All children should have such 

 education, but only the children in the country can have the advantage 

 of the practical outdoor experience. 



The staff of the State College of Agriculture is deeply interested in the 

 boys and girls in the country districts. Eventually we should like to be 

 in touch with all of them. We are making effort to strengthen every 

 medium by which we may reach the children, so that any message of 

 value to them may be sent promptly. We must not lose the opportunity 

 for a close connection with the grange. We shall ask, therefore, all men 

 and women in New York State who are members of the grange and 

 who are interested in agricultural education to send their names and 

 addresses for our special grange file in the Department of Rural School 

 Education. This will enable us to send communications to them and 

 to keep them in touch with what we are doing in connection with the 

 schools. 



