Live Stock Breeders' Association. 301 



THE NEXT STEP IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION, 



OR 



TKE PLACE OF AGRICULTURE IN OUR AMERICAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. 

 (E. Davenport, Dean of Illinois Agricultural College.) 



The most significant fact in the educational world today is 

 the demand that agriculture be taught in the public schools. 



This is a radically new movement in education. Twenty-five 

 years ago — fifteen years ago — it was unheard of. At that time, 

 had the proposition been made it would have interested neither 

 the farmer nor the educator; the one would have been indifferent, 

 the other would have been horrified or amazed, according as the 

 humor of it might have struck him. Today it is a live problem in 

 which both the farmer and the educator are seriously interested, 

 and it is one whose solution concerns them both. 



Thinking men of all classes are now agreed that in some way 

 and after some fashion agriculture must be taught in our public 

 schools, both primary and secondary; meaning by agriculture not 

 only the occupation of farming, but also the life of the farmer and 

 the genius and spirit of country affairs ; for agriculture is not only 

 a profession, but it is a mode of life. It is, of course, unnecessary 

 to emphasize the peculiar importance of teaching the fundamental 

 principles and practices necessary to permanent systems of suc- 

 cessful agriculture. Other great industries are commonly controlled 

 from central offices, but every farmer must have knowledge to make 

 him intelligent concerning methods essential to permanent agricul- 

 tural prosperity. 



Now, two radically different methods have been proposed for 

 meeting this new educational demand in the secondary schools. 

 The one method proposes a separate system of schools for country 

 people, to be known as agricultural high schools, farm schools, 

 etc., in which agriculture for boys and domestic science for girls 

 should be the leading subjects taught, assuming that existing high 

 schools in general shall be known and considered as "city schools," 

 whose business it is to minister to the people of the cities and their 

 concerns as the agricultural schools should minister to the affairs of 

 the country. Several of these agricultural high schools have been 

 already established, notably in Wisconsin and Georgia, and a bill 

 which is now in Congress is designed to make the distinction not 



