104 State Horticulturat Society. 



truth in its broadest sense; an appreciation of exact observation, an 

 exact expression of truths observed and a correct analysis of these truths. 

 While a boy may be able to distinguish between a pear tree and an apple 

 tree he can not name the distinguishing characters upon which he bases 

 this knoAvledge. While he may be able to select a beef animal from a 

 dairy animal he can not tell in what particular points they differ, so as 

 to impart this knowledge to another. 



TIME REQUIRED. 



It is recommended that the study of agriculture be not added to the 

 already crowded courses of study in the public schools. It is suggested 

 that a part of the time usually given to geography be devoted to the 

 elements of agriculture. A quite general belief prevails that much of 

 the so-called "geography" could be left out of our schools with little loss 

 to the children. Instead of memorizing facts about distant lands, which 

 are of such little interest that the child tries to remember them onlv 

 until the examinations have been passed, one fifth of the time, or one 

 lesson per week could be given to observation and experimental work in 

 agriculture. This would be an absolute gain to the interest in the geog- 

 raphy text-book during the remaining four days. Other subjects may 

 be studied correlatively to aid in preparing children for their future life. 

 Teachers in rural schools should adapt general education to the daily 

 needs of the local population, giving the reading matter, language, and 

 arithmetic a touch of agricultural knowledge. Pastoral poetry, occupa- 

 tions or rural life, problems in the form of simple accounts and referring 

 to the cost of commodities bought and sold in the neighborhood, and the 

 mixtures and proportions of food for stock, may be valuable aids in les- 

 sons on agriculture. 



jVrETHOD. 



Elementary instruction in agriculture should be addressed to the 

 intelligence and observation powers of the children rather than to their 

 memory. The study of plants and flowers should not be confined to 

 books, but should take in nature herself. It must not drift into a mere 

 literary study, or it will quickly fall into disrepute. Instruction should 

 be based upon the observation of daily facts in country life and on simple 



