No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 255 



nearly every teacher would be able to do better work with a room 

 full of pupils than he could possibly do when there were only half 

 a dozen or a dozen present at roll-call. He said there was a great 

 stimulus in numbers, and the pupils in a large school will always 

 be able to do far better work than those in a small one. 



He then took up the question of economy in school management 

 and support, as related to the consolidation advocated. He said 

 that the taxpayer's interest would be subserved by centralization, 

 that the consolidated township school would prove to be far cheaper 

 than the maintenance of two or three or more ungraded schools 

 while the greater advantages which the children would receive 

 through centralization would of itself be a sufficient motive to war- 

 rant the adoption of this method. 



The Professor cited an instance of a dull boy, who, by patience 

 and careful study of his mental organization and ability and tem- 

 perament, had been aroused to intelligence and industry, and all 

 because the township high school had afforded him an opportunity 

 to study a subject which appealed to him. 



He said that the advanced studies provided for in the township 

 high school ought to be supplemented by practical and useful studies 

 so that our daughters may learn to be good cooks, and our sons 

 ought to be instructed along lines that would lay the foundation for 

 their becoming good farmers, as well as generally intelligent men 

 and women. 



The Professor paid a high. tribute to the women of Pennsylvania 

 and expressed his regret that more of them are not represented 

 on the school boards of the various counties. 



The Professor advocated the provision in all the primary grades 

 not only for concentration and strengthening all along the line, but 

 also the introduction of nature study, and instruction particularly 

 with reference to flowers and birds. He said in the next four years 

 let us go a little further in this direction and give our pupils more 

 insight into the mysteries of nature, and also give them more time 

 to apply to the great subject of agriculture. Let us have the 

 strength of the old district school and the proposed new methods 

 combined, the one side by side with the other where the rich and the 

 poor will have the same opportunities and be brought together 

 under conditions fitted to develop them into noble and intelligent 

 men and women. Do not neglect to instruct them in the history 

 of the old flag. Let them look down upon the grave of Benjamin 

 Franklin; teach them the history of Pennsylvania and the story 

 of its great men; teach them to rejoice in the liberty that we enjoy; 

 let them look upon old Independence Hall, and weave into their 

 minds a knowledge of the glories of our great Keystone State. 



