Live Stock Breeders' Association. 315 



study, nor do I mean that some sort of pedagogical kink should be 

 given to chemistry or botany or even geography and arithmetic. 

 Let these arts and sciences be taught from their own standpoint, 

 with as direct application to as many affairs of real life as possible ; 

 but let chemistry continue to be chemistry; let agriculture intro- 

 duce new matter into the schools and with it a new point of view. 

 Nor should this new matter be "elementary agriculture." In some 

 ways I could wish the phrase had never been coined. What is 

 wanted in our high schools is not elementary agriculture, but ele- 

 mental, fundamental agriculture. For this purpose we should se- 

 lect out of what is taught in our colleges those phases of agri- 

 culture that are adapted to use in the high school and yet that 

 strike at the root of farm life and its affairs — something that will 

 appeal to real farmers, and that will serve to actually educate their 

 boys for the business of farming — soil physics, soil fertility, labo- 

 ratory fields in crop production, the use of farm machinery, and 

 the classification and principles of feeding of live stock. 



As I see it, every high school that has a natural agricultural 

 constituency of any considerable importance should put in a depart- 

 ment of agriculture on the same basis as its department of chemis- 

 try, and proceed to offer at least one year of real technical agri- 

 culture taught from the standpoint of the farm, accompanied by 

 such collateral instruction in the arts and sciences as shall provide 

 a suitable course for such of its pupils as find their interests in the 

 country and on the farm. 



The other point on which I would be particular is this: I 

 am not arguing that the high schools in their present condition 

 are doing, or are able to do, what is needed for agriculture. My 

 contention is that they can get ready to do it, and that right 

 speedily; and that if they will proceed to get ready, they should 

 have the chance, for it is their opportunity and their privilege; 

 and if they do not propose to serve agriculture and her people as 

 faithfully and as well as they are serving or intend to serve other 

 interests, then they should be compelled to do it. That is my thesis 

 in a few words; but my conviction is that they are for the most 

 part fully ready to turn both their brains and their tremendous 

 efficiency loose on our problem if we will let them. 



I am glad to say that we have a perfect understanding on this 

 whole matter in Illinois. The schools are not yet ready to teach 

 agriculture, but they will get ready. I would better say, they are 

 ready but not equipped. We do not yet possess text-books and 

 courses of study, but they are being prepared. We do not yet have 



