EDITOIIIAL. 103 



Dr. S. A. Knapp, of this Department, gave a splendid discussion 

 of the rural education problem as it appeared to him in the South, 

 and dwelt especially upon the effectiveness of boys' clubs and the im- 

 jDortance of teaching the young the value and importance of the gar- 

 den, the poultry' flock, and the cow, and how to care for them and 

 realize the most from them. Valuable suggestions concerning the 

 making of a high school course in agriculture, and the correlation of 

 agriculture with other high school science, were made by Josiah 

 Main of the University of Tennessee, and suggestions for the elemen- 

 tary course by R. O. Johnson of the State Normal School at Chico, 

 Cal. There were also interesting papers on awakening and main- 

 taining interest in agriculture, the present status of agricultural 

 education in the public schools and National aid in the preparation 

 of teachers of agriculture for the public schools. 



Another matter which was discussed pro and con at this convention 

 related to the establishment of special agricultural schools, but the 

 different papers were presented at such wideh^ different times and 

 places as to render it difficult to get at the consensus of opinion. The 

 matter came up first in the department of manual training where the 

 question of establishing separate trade schools was under discussion, 

 and President Kerr, of the Oregon Agricultural College, argued 

 against separate trade schools for agriculture. Later, in the depart- 

 ment of secondarjr education. Dean Davenport, of the University of 

 Illinois, read a paper in which he presented arguments against the 

 establishment of special agricultural high schools, on the ground that 

 instruction in agriculture should be given in the public high schools, 

 that courses in special schools must of necessity be narrow, and that 

 the tendency of such schools would be to " peasantize " the farmers 

 as agricultural schools had done in Germany. 



Tliere was no opportunit}'' at that time for the discussion of 

 Dean Davenport's j^aper, but on the following daj^, in the depart- 

 ment of rural and agricultural education, some of his leading argu- 

 ments were discussed by those who believe in the establishment of 

 agricultural high schools. Briefly, the points brought out were to 

 the effect that while there is general agreement that agriculture 

 should be taught in all public high schools attended by rural puj^ils, 

 there is also a pressing demand and need for a limited number of 

 special agricultural schools for the accommodation of boys who have 

 definitely made up their minds that they want to follow the business 

 of farming; and that Avhile it is true that some of the work in such 

 schools must of necessity be narrower than in the public schools, 

 the instruction in agriculture gains greatly in breadth and thorough- 

 ness as well as in the superior lal)oratorv equipment, animals, ma- 

 chinery, and other facilities needed in the teaching of agriculture. 

 There is also abundant opportunity in such schools to provide for 



