1905.] AGRICULTURE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 22/ 



what the San Jose scale is, and why it is that people have to 

 fight it. He ought to Icarn what the peach yellows is, and 

 why it is that he must be careful that it is not distributed. He 

 wants to learn a great many of these useful things. He wants 

 to learn as many of them as can be put before him. I think 

 that our public schools are at fault in not giving more instruc- 

 tion on many of these things. It is a duty which they have to 

 perform to the State. It concerns not only the individual wel- 

 fare of the pupil or the child in after life, but instruction along 

 some of these lines concerns the welfare of the whole public. 

 Our public schools have a very important work to do in bring- 

 ing about, and in bringing to the proper place, instruction upon 

 these matters, which are of such vital interest to the masses of 

 the people. That instruction should be put where everybody 

 who needs it can obtain it. It is absolutely necessary in order 

 to correctly solve many of the problems of life and of living that 

 we have before us, and it is a fact, if I may be allowed to state 

 it, that the Board of Agriculture and rural people everywhere 

 in connection with this organization should demand of the 

 public schools of the State education of this kind. Not techni- 

 cal agriculture. You can demand that if you like, but I would 

 not suggest that ; but sentiment ought to be worked up by 

 which throughout the schools of the State more attention may 

 be given to these things that affect to such a great degree the 

 life, health, welfare, the wellbeing and the welldoing of so 

 many people who live in the dift'erent communities. It is not 

 very difficidt if the matter is properly handled. I would put 

 before a child in the public schools those means by which he 

 can make his own livelihood, bv which he can live easier and 

 more comfortably, and by which he can do it easier than he can 

 any other way. I would put before him everything that is pos- 

 sible to put before him that is worth something in making his 

 life conditions and his home conditions easier and more attrac- 

 tive. I would put before him, first of all, those things most 

 important in making those conditions easy and profitable for 

 him. (Applause.) 



The President. I happened to listen to some poetry a lit- 

 tle while ago that this quartette has composed, and I proposed 

 to them that they give it to us after we were through with this 



