228 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



paper. I don't know what it is, or how original it is, but I will 

 ask them to repeat it for your pleasure. 



Music by the quartette. 



The President. This discussion is now open, and is to be 

 led by Mr. Henry C. Burr of the Normal School at Willimantic. 



Secretary Brown. Mr. Burr has not arrived. 



The President. Well, if he has not arrived probably he 

 will be here later. Very likely you have questions to ask and 

 more sentiments to offer on this important question. I pre- 

 sume that our last speaker will be ready to answer any ques- 

 tions you may put to him. 



Mr. Burr was unable to be present but sent the paper he had 

 prepared for the occasion, wdiich is here inserted : 



We may admit that it is proper to make use of the ele- 

 mentary school in any way which will best serve the interests 

 of society. We no longer feel bound, in theory at any rate, to 

 devote the school time wholly to the traditional studies. We 

 stand ready to welcome the introduction of any subject that will 

 make our work more eft'ective. 



There is no doubt in my mind that the present demand for 

 the study of agriculture is based upon a real social need. Much 

 of our efficiency in this country has been due to the fact that 

 children have combined a home training in handling real things, 

 in meeting real problems in the daily work of life, with a school 

 training in the essentials such as reading and writing. Chil- 

 dren in the city no longer get this home training. They are no 

 longer brought face to face with real problems. They are no 

 longer forced in their daily experience to recognize and deal 

 with the laws of cause and effect in nature. The child is not 

 only deprived of a very valuable portion of his education but 

 is led into distorted views of the values of things. He is no 

 longer properly impressed with the dignity and importance of 

 the labor of production. 



Partly for this reason we have broadened our curriculum. 

 We try to develop manual dexterity and inventive skill through 

 hand work of various sorts in the lower grades and systematic 

 manual training in the upper grades. We treat of natural laws 



