NEW PRACTICE. 293 



say. It probably depends in great measure upon the attitude 

 of powerful corporations in their relations with the farming 

 population. It has been charged that the powers that be in 

 the money world are forcing the people inch by inch into 

 socialism. This as it may, there can be no doubt that hence- 

 forth a fair share of the wealth which the farmer produces 

 he will find means of retaining in his own possession. 



There is another form of co-operation, known as consoli- 

 dation, new in the history of this country and of the world, 

 which has already established itself in half a dozen States, 

 and the universal establishment of it we may foretell with 

 great confidence of fulfilment. It is the consolidation of the 

 rural schools. The difficulty of conducting an adequate pub- 

 lic school system throughout the country districts has been 

 keenly realized both by educators and by farmers themselves. 

 It is the want of adequate school facilities for his children 

 that has induced many a first-class farmer to leave the farm 

 where he could make a success and which he loved as a home, 

 and move to the village, the town or the city. The unsatis- 

 factory status of the public school in the country districts, with 

 its poorly paid teacher, its unsanitary building, its lack of 

 numbers and consequent lack of enthusiasm, its meagre cur- 

 riculum, has probably done more to retard the profession 

 of farming, done more to discredit it in the estimation of the 

 bright young men and women, both of the country and the 

 city, than any other one thing. Now all this is to be changed. 

 A new practice has been inaugurated which is certain to be- 

 come contagious. The country school and the country school- 

 house are abolished. In its stead a central site is selected 

 and a modern school building is erected. Here there is in- 

 stalled a corps of well-paid and competent teachers, and a 



