82 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



It seems plain to me [he says] that the public schools are intended to 

 give the young a practical education to prepare them for life, not to prepare 



them for any particular work in life Why tax the community in 



general to instruct its children for work and life on the farm, when many 

 of the patrons and many of the children themselves would prefer general 

 education? (117). 



The above editorial and its sequel, the two letters of reply, give 

 some insight into the present situation. No doubt the condition 

 referred to in the editorial does not apply to all rural schools 

 but in general it is not much overdrawn. The writer of the 

 first letter unduly magnifies the work of agricultural education 

 in this country, for it has not had time to modify the ordinary 

 rural schools to any considerable extent, even in the favored 

 Middle West. On the other hand, his five months' visit in 

 Canada failed to show him that the efforts of the Canadian 

 educators are aimed directly at the rural schools. The second 

 letter reveals an attitude which is familiar to those who have 

 undertaken to hold up the chief interest of a rural community 

 as a motive for better schools. 



In reviewing the relation of popular periodicals to agricul- 

 tural education only typical examples have been given. No 

 attempt has been made to have the references complete. Suffi- 

 cient citations have been given to indicate the character and scope 

 of the discussions of the subject as they have appeared in these 

 periodicals, and to show the service rendered by keeping the 

 subject before the public, and by helping to secure a favorable 

 attitude toward the improvement of rural schools. 



Brief reference should be made also to periodicals whose 

 circulation is limited to smaller groups of readers. There is a 

 large number published in the interest of farmers. Most of 

 them are local, being chiefly confined in circulation to a single 

 state. Many are of doubtful value. Those that are really sincere 

 in their efforts to improve farm life have exerted considerable in- 

 fluence for the betterment of rural schools and for the introduc- 

 tion of agriculture. Special articles as well as letters from sub- 



