1905-1 DISCUSSION. 237 



whole question. If a child is in love with any one thing you 

 do not need a teacher, it will teach itself. If the interest of 

 the children has been aroused in these things they soon develop 

 an enthusiasm for the work and carry it on themselves. 



For fifty vears I have been engaged in raising- fruit of all 

 kinds. I try to keep myself informed in regard to fruit rais- 

 ing, but for information I do not burden the teacher ; I consult 

 the papers and the magazines devoted to that business. I well 

 know where to get my information. I attend meetings of this 

 sort, where I can derive a great deal of information, and I buy 

 and read the farm and fruit papers. So it is with the children ; 

 let their attention once be directed to these things, and their 

 enthusiasm aroused, and the means are at hand whereby they 

 can carry on and develop their knowledge. 



The State of Connecticut has already done something in this 

 line. In our exhibit at the Louisiana Exposition the State, 

 under the direction of a committee, of which Connecticut may 

 well be proud, has spent several hundred dollars in that kind of 

 work. Not only that, but something in this line is being car- 

 ried out in other towns, as well as my own. It is all going to 

 bring forth good results. I see evidences of work of this kind 

 being done throughout our State, and it will be of great benefit 

 in inculcating into the young minds of our children a love of 

 agriculture. I think, on the other hand, Mr. Chairman, that 

 instead of overburdening our teachers we might well eliminate 

 some of the studies that are taught today. With the advance 

 in the literature which we are able to obtain in these days, and 

 with the publication of many encyclopedias at a very moderate 

 ■ price, there are many things which we can read up about in a 

 very short time, and over which our children in the public 

 schools pore a good deal with very little value. There are mat- 

 ters in geography and history, over which our young minds 

 pore for years, which, in my judgment, result in very little bene- 

 fit, and the time spent is of very little value. The time is 

 largely spent for naught, because later on, if information is 



