FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 151 



must be adopted. The telephone, free mail delivery and the electric car 

 has brought the country districts into touch with the higher life and 

 they are now demanding, and will continue to demand, just as good edu- 

 tional advantages for their children as are given to the inhabitants of 

 the cities. The time is coming when an educated man can live and grow 

 and enjoy life in the country. This has not been true in the past and, as 

 a result, those who sought the higher life and more education for their 

 children have been compelled to leave their farms and move to the cities. 

 But with the other advantages now offered to the country people they 

 still demand that the school must come to them. These high schools 

 will mean much to the great industry of farming. Science has done 

 much for this industry within the last few years. It was thought at one 

 time that the man who could make two blades of grass grow where one 

 had grown before was a great benefactor, a hero, but vdth the aid of 

 science he will make not only two, but a dozen, — yes, a hundred. — grow 

 where one grew before. One man by careful experiment, or by chance, 

 will discover the seedless orange, and from this one tree will millions 

 more be produced and the whole world made happier. With an edu- 

 cated class of farmers, such as these high schools in time would pro- 

 duce, production would more than be doubled and our land would be 

 covered with beautiful and happy homes. The bright boys would not all 

 leave the farm. The standard of intelligence would be raised, above all, 

 opportunities would be opened to every one of ability and courage to 

 reach the. high plane in this life to which his energy and his ability enti- 

 tle him; opportunity would be the same for the young people of the 

 State without regard to location. 



Just what plans should be adopted I am not here to say. It is a ques- 

 tion that should receive the careful consideration of thoughtful edu- 

 cators. The country high school problem must be solved and, when it 

 is settled, it is to be hoped that it will be settled in such a way as to com- 

 mend itself to future generations. 



THE SCHOOLROOM. 



BY PROP. W. H. FRENCH, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 



As a result of the study of the best means and methods of education 

 we are coming to appreciate the necessity of better school architecture 

 and schoolroom decorations. We understand that the aesthetic sense of 

 the child must be trained in order that he may appreciate to its fullest 

 extent the harmony and beauty of the world about him. Someone has 

 said, ''When the beauty of the world has entered into our souls, the 

 beauty within will manifest itself in beautiful deeds.". And another has 

 said that, ''The right picture on the wall of the boy's room may do more 

 for him than a college education." • 



In considering the matter of school architecture we must consider 

 first the order, symmetry, and beauty of nature. Colors that harmonize 

 should be used for both exterior and interior of a building. The school 

 grounds should be laid out with regard to beauty of landscape, as well 



