THE CALL OF THE LAND 



most crying need of our country work is 

 consecrated school men and women, bap- 

 tized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, of 

 consummate ability, health, morale and 

 education, of course, and awake to the rich 

 chances offered them in high-class school 

 population and in helpful home influences, 

 but, above all, appreciating and able 

 through perfect training and practice to use 

 and make their pupils use the stores of 

 nature's laboratory around them. 



As tributary to this I plead for reform 

 in the country institute. It is better than no 

 instrumentality of the kind at all, but can 

 be made vastly more improving than it is. 

 A terrible sameness usually marks the ses- 

 sions from year to year, the identical sort of 

 matter, topics in substance repeated over 

 and over, teachers bored and hating to at- 

 tend. 



This defect is largely due to poverty. 

 Much may be hoped from the movement to 

 band counties together, perhaps changing 

 session-place yearly, and joining treasuries 

 to secure the best institute talent. 



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