AGRICULTURAL 1^:DUCATI0N. 



I)V Rrssi-:i.L William Thornton. 



Africa has been kn(n\n and s])()ken of as the Dark C nn- 

 tinent. It is nndonlitedly dark in more wavs tlian one. and 

 enhghtenment ^ecnrs t(j liave made slower ])r(jgress in this 

 country than in most otlier }'oung and recently civilised countries 

 of the world, before we can teach we must have the material 

 Irom which to draw the necessary information which is to be 

 imparted to those whom we are teaching. Therefore it stands 

 to reason that if we attempt to teach without information 

 gathered from a solid foundation of facts in the countrv in 

 which we live and work, such teaching cannot be other than 

 sterile when the material is obtained in other countries, with 

 conditions entirely different from our own. Before going into 

 this subject I will take up the three forms of Agricultural 

 Education with which we are confronted in South Africa to-dav. 

 and which it is our dut_\' to carry out. 



1. The instruction of young men who have com])k'te(l 

 their elementary education and who intend taking up farm- 

 ing- 



2. The instruction of farmers or those who have already 

 taken up the occupation of farming and ar*;; .settled on the 

 land. 



3. The training of those who are to teacli the tir>t and 

 seconrl classes mentioned. 



With regard to the youths who are to be trained as farmers, 

 the hrst thing to consider is their elementary education. If this 

 has been neglected, it is difficult to train such men for an occupa- 

 tion wdiich requires more varied knowledge than any other in 

 the world. The old idea of making the dunce of tlie family a 

 farmer is ra]jidly disa])])earing. and it is tlu- man with ^ound 

 common sense, thoughtful, energetic, and the one who notes 

 everything going on ar(junfl him, that is likely to make a success- 

 ful farmer. With regard to our present system of elementary 

 education, to ni}- mind this should not be tam))ere(l with in too 

 .severe a manner, but it is necessary that the boys should be kej^t 

 in touch with .\ature. and* f 01 this purpose text-books are really 

 unnecessary, as no l)ook is as suitable as Nature, from wliicli 

 they may be taught by actual fK'ular demonstrations with 

 regard to plant and animal life, thereby making this teaching as 

 interesting as possible. In fact, in our elementarv education 

 our aim should be ntjt to teach agriculture, but to teach the boys 

 to notice. If their interest is once aroused, they will look dee])er 

 for themselves. If this nature knowledge were taught in the 

 correct manner, fewer boy- would leave the farms and enter 

 the towns on account of tlic attractions of town life. It is the 



