1905.] DISCUSSION. 241 



botany, mineralogy, entomology, whatever they were able to 

 learn of those subjects, in a small way, and if they showed a 

 disposition to go on further with those subjects they were fur- 

 nished with books suitable to them. In that way we laid the 

 foundation for a great many impressions, which they remem- 

 bered through life, and which they needed to have. 



We used to try some experiments, such as showing the boys 

 how they could blow through a stick of wood endwise. A 

 good smart boy can blow through a long stick of oak timber. 

 If any of you have ever tried the experiment you know what it 

 is, and that is enough to wake up the most dull boy. We used 

 to do considerable of that at times, because it afforded the boys 

 amusement, as well as useful instruction. So on with all these 

 little matters that came up on the farm from day to day and 

 from w^eek to week. They took readily to it. They learned a 

 great many of these things. I didn't try to teach them every- 

 thing, but I did try to open their eyes, and to impress upon 

 their minds facts and information which would be of use to 

 them in after life. There are plenty of things to show them 

 and to teach them, to engage their eyes and to use their hands. 

 We always tried to teach them something about practical agri- 

 culture. The foundation principles of agriculture were taught. 

 All of those things were taught to the best of my ability. And 

 we succeeded, as we thought, in demonstrating that we could 

 teach as much arithmetic, as much geography, as much history, 

 and all those common studies besides, but most of all we 

 believed we succeeded in calling their attention and aw^aking 

 their interest in common things. We believed that we suc- 

 ceeded in impressing as much knowledge of those practical 

 studies taught in our common schools as we could have done 

 if we had had a teacher the wdiole time to teach arithmetic, 

 geography, and history. And we carried it on for 24 years to 

 our satisfaction, and we believe to the satisfaction of our 

 patrons, and we believe it can be done today in the common 

 schools on very much the same plan. By showing a boy today 



Agr. — 16 



