SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR-BOOK— PART VIII. 857 



It is an undisputed fact that the parents or guardians of more pupils 

 are engaged in farming than in any other occupation. If, therefore, 

 •we should teach in the schools what the pupil will have to deal witn 

 in life, certainly agriculture should be introduced. It must be admittea 

 that it is vauable to study the subjects that are closely related to the 

 life of tne people; if therefore they are urging it for the schools in the 

 cities, how much more valuable must it be for the rural schools and 

 the graded schools in our country towns? Some people have grown 

 altogether too wild over what is called "higher education," but there 

 seems to be a move on foot just now to teach the things that are more 

 practical and less of the theory; more instruction as to how to actu- 

 ally do the work that is to be done. 



Many children at school get the idea that the farmers are the only 

 people that need to work; they have the idea that the people in the 

 city are enjoying themselves every moment, and that their labor is 

 more like play. I believe that a study in agriculture would have a 

 tendency to change this idea. It would, to some extent, broaden their 

 mind and change their way of thinking. If he studied the soil and 

 the forces of nature with which he is surrounded, he would see har- 

 mony where all was a puzzle to him before. For instance, nearly every 

 one now knows that one of the most essential foods for plants is car- 

 bonic acid; and we know too, that animals as well as man breathes out 

 that very element. On the other hand plants throw out, or breathe out, 

 if I may call it that way, the gas called oxygen, which in turn is one 

 of the most essential foods for man and animal. Isn't this a beautiful- 

 discovery, and if you were the person who had discovered this, would 

 you net feel as if all boys and girls, men and women, ought to know 

 this? It is true to have flowers in your window look well, but do they 

 not seem more beautiful to you when you know that they are making 

 oxygen for you; that they actually purify your air as well as beautify 

 your home? Would not this knowledge deepen the boys way of thinking? 



The farmer should know that humus in the soil helps the growtli of 

 plants, that it enables the soil to hold more moisture and prevents the 

 soil from baking; that it absorbs ammonia (which contains oxygen) 

 from the air and thus fertilizing the soil. Then also that barnyard 

 manure is the best supplier of humus to the soil. 



It was about two years ago that a friend of mine asked me how to 

 best to enrich the soil of his garden; this patch had been used for garden 

 for several years and is being used for a garden to-day. Not knowing 

 how to best answer the question. I told him I would write to the agri- 

 cultural college for the information, which I did. They answer that: 

 "There is nothing better than barnyard manure." Since then I have 

 read a few books en agriculture and have learned the reason why. 



Right here I might also mention that we ought to feel closely related 

 to our agricultural college. If you have some question which you can- 

 not answer satisfactorily for yourselves or for your friends, do not be 

 Jifraid to ask the college or some editor of a good agricultural paper 

 or magazine. 



