162 Rural Education in our ]llla(fe Schools. 



'•'■ What improvements would you suggest as regards the 

 subjects taught ? " 



In no less than thirteen cases, either no answer or only an 

 indefinite one was given. 



Seven correspondents advocated the teaching of gardening 

 and the establishment of school gardens, which, one of them 

 stated, had been very successfully carried out in Lincolnshire 

 and Staffordshire. 



Four answers were in favour of teaching land tillages and 

 farm work, three in favour of teaching about rural life generally, 

 and three suggested animal culture as a subject ; one of these 

 last three proposing that children should be taught that 

 animals are living beings. 



Nature study was also urged by these correspondents, and 

 one of them adds that this is carried out very siiccessfully at 

 present in Lincolnshire and Staffordshire. He also tells us that 

 woodwork is another subject taught in these counties. 



In single cases recommendations wei-e sent in favour of 

 lessons in geology and botany. 



Plenty of " observation lessons " several times a week " on 

 all niattei's relating to farm and garden " is proposed in one 

 case, and object lessons in ordinary garden and farm products 

 in two others. 



In yet another answer it is suggested that the pictures in 

 schools should relate to rural life, and it is stated that the 

 most attractive pictures found in such places at present refer 

 mostly to urban subjects. Two proposals were received that 

 ])ooks on country life should be made available in the schools. 

 One paper tendered the advice that plain needlewftrk should be 

 taught the girls, while drilling was recommended in another. 



The opinion was expressed in one case that there was too 

 nnich desk work ; while no less than three answers contained 

 the advice to avoid cramming. 



Finally, four correspondents gave it as their opinion that in 

 elementary schools only the three "■ R's " should be taught. 



Want of space makes it impossible to treat of all these 

 suggestions, but two of them are so important that they must 

 be alluded to. It may be at once admitted that those works of 

 husbandry spoken of as tillages cannot be taught in school or 

 in continuation class, but that is no sort of reason why the 

 boys and yovmg men should not be given any instruction in 

 the theory of such matters. How the plough cuts off and turns 

 the furrow-slice, why this is useful, the application of elemen- 

 tally botanical knowledge to weed destruction, the action of 

 weather in helping the implements to do their work, ami one 

 thousand other points of interest when getting a tilth, are all 

 admirable possibilities on giving a good education. Given the 



