No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 233 



we have schools that are so small that it is not possible in that 

 condition to grade them properly, and because they are so small, 

 because the districts are so small from which the children come, 

 it naturally follows that it would be too expensive to bring the 

 best type of teachers into such cases, and whatever sentiment we 

 may have about the old-time country school, that should not, I 

 think,, stand in the way of our re-grouping these schools, consoli- 

 dating them if you w^ill, in order to make them the best kind of 

 schools, and then we can give more attention toward making the 

 situation as it already exists in the schools contributory to agri- 

 culture and couniry life-. There is no doubt but that the ordinary 

 studies of reading, arithmetic and geography may be so arranged 

 as to be primarily connected with the work and life on the farm, 

 and when that is done, we should change the curriculum so as to 

 make much better schools than we have today, and I think that is 

 possible in these days, and bring into our country schools when 

 they are properly re-organized and provided with good teachers, 

 a certain element of nature study, and of agriculture, which will 

 be very helpful in instilling the proper spirit in these schools and 

 in turning the attention of the children to the newer ideas in 

 agriculture to the new, progressive agriculture, and leading them 

 to see that in agriculture itself are found many subjects of study 

 which will.be useful to them in their future life, and benefit them 

 in many ways. 



I think we should do something to promote the teaching of 

 the elements of agriculture in the public schools, and through 

 the association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, 

 vv'orking in harmony with the National Experiment Station, there 

 has been produced a set of working materials which may be used 

 in elementary schools. I have here a bulletin which we have 

 just issued, entitled "Experiments in Elementary Agriculture." 

 Now, I cannot go into this subject, but I shall be very glad to 

 have you take the number, and if you are interested in the matter, 

 write to the office of the Experiment Station for a copy. It is 

 Bulletin 186, of the Office of Experiment Stations, the title being 

 "Exercises in Elementary Agriculture." Now, in this bulletin we 

 have tried to show what may be done with the simplest kind of 

 apparatus, much of which can be made by any boy w^ho can use 

 an ordinary knife, and making the exercises of such character as 

 will be suitable to the common schools. These exercises, I might 

 say, we do not claim any particular originality for. They have 

 been gathered from various sources, and most of them have been 

 successfully used in schools. Now, we do not expect that exercises 

 like that can be used in the poorest type of country schools. If 

 you have a school building which it is impossible to heat in winter, 

 of course you can't grow plants in the winter. Some of the exer- 

 cises can be used in city schools. To make good use of these exer- 

 cises in a complete way, you must have a schoolhouse that is fairly 

 warm through the week and other things of that sort. Then, of 

 course, this is not material which can be used with very young 

 children. It is really intended to be used in a common school 

 which is graded to a certain extent at least, in the seventh or 

 eighth grade. That is, for children anywhere from twelve to fifteen 



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