Rural School Leaflet 1249 



In our own effort, we have always had in view the agricultural aim 

 or application. We should have been glad if there had been sufficient 

 nature-study sentiment to enable us to confine our particular work to 

 the agricultural aim; but this sentiment had to be created or quickened, 

 and we have tried to contribute our part toward accomplishing this 

 result. At first it was impossible to gain much hearing for the agricul- 

 tural subjects. Year by year such hearing has been more readily given, 

 and the work has been turned in this direction as rapidly as the conditions 

 would admit — for it is the special mission of an agricultural college 

 to extend the agricultural applications of nature-study. In later years 

 the content of the work has had very direct relation to farm-life questions. 

 The time has now come, we think, when we can devote practically ail 

 our energies to this application. It is the purpose of this leaflet to aid 

 the teacher in the rural school to work out the practical daily problem 

 of teaching agricultural subjects. 



In doing this, we merely confine oursleves to our more special field. 

 The general nature-study outlook is fundamental, and we shall continue 

 to emphasize it; but we feel that the appreciation of this outlook is now 

 so well established as to allow us to specialize. The State Education 

 Department has issued syllabi for agriculture and nature-study; we desire 

 to be useful in applying them to the conditions and needs of country life. 

 Schools here and there are ready for agricultural work; we want to 

 help. 



In making these statements we have in mind that the common schools 

 do not teach trades and professions. We do not approach the subject 

 primarily from an occupational point of view, but from the educational 

 and spiritual; that is, the man should know his work and his environ- 

 ment. The mere giving of information about agricultural objects and 

 practices can have very little good result with children. The spirit is 

 worth more than the letter. Some of the hard and dry tracts on farming 

 would only add one more task to the teacher and the pupil if they were 

 introduced to the school, making the new subject in time as distasteful 

 as arithmetic and grammar often are. In this new agricultural work 

 we need to be exceedingly careful that we do not go too far, and that we 

 do not lose our sense of relationships and values. Introducing the word 

 agriculture into the scheme of studies means very little ; what is taught, 

 and particularly how it is taught, is of the greatest moment. We hope 

 that no country-life teaching will be so narrow as to put only technical 

 farm subjects before the pupil. 



We need also to be careful not to introduce subjects merely because 

 practical grown-up farmers think that the subjects are useful and there- 

 fore should be taught. Farming is one thing and teaching is another. 



