358 Missouri Agricultural Eeport. 



cation for efficiency that deepens the interest of hoys and girls in Itome 

 duties and in improving home surrou)idings. 



In another country school where the teacher won the confidence of 

 her commimity by successfully teaching the "three R's," a weekly 

 ■cooking class was arranged. On Friday of each week pupils brought 

 materials and utensils from home and cooked (according to a recipe 

 previously agreed upon) on the top of the great drum of the well known 

 Hound Oak stove. Boys and girls were equally interested in this, 

 Just as both were interested in the agriculture and manual training 

 M'ork in the other school. 



Certainly this work was not done so scientifically as it would be 

 ■done in the laboratories of your University here but its inspirational 

 value can never be measured. 



It is interesting to note that three girl graduates in the county 

 ■class the first year were members of this cooking class, and also, con- 

 testants and prize winners in a sewing contest of that county. 



So contagious was the example of this school, seven prize winners 

 came from schools the next year taught by men who called on the 

 County Superintendent for instruction to carry on the work so popu- 

 larly demanded. 



]\Iothers visited the office of the County Superintendent for more 

 instruction to help their daughters at home, one confessing she had 

 tried hard to teach "Mary" to sew but she never cared about it until 

 the other girls at school took it up, then Mary became a prize winner. 

 You see the "group influence," what others can do even the indifferent 

 become interested in doing. This work stimulated interest in the regu- 

 lar routine of school work, and here we see how the school reaches across 

 and influences the home. 



Ladies and gentlemen, I would have you notice that outside of 

 books, outside of class rooms come most of the interests that are chiefly 

 active in directing the choice of the individual ; and it is because I 

 know so well the splendid possibilities of country life yet scarcely 

 dreamed of in so many rural communities, because I know, too, the strug- 

 gles, the hardships, and the failures awaiting the majority who drift 

 to the cities, that I so frankly suggest prevalent conditions, and plead 

 for your influence as individuals, and as a body to organize the country 

 schools so as to help to accomplish the great purpose of keeping boys and 

 girls on the farms of Missouri. 



Farm homes of pretentious architecture fitted with modern equip- 

 ment of heating, ventilating and plumbing are common today, though 

 by no means the type. The farmer has the telephone in his liO'i«e, 

 the daily delivery of mail, carriages or automobiles for transportation. 



