How TO IMPROVE THE RURAL SCHOOL. 479 



10. Does the rural school need courses in manual training and 

 domestic science as well as a course in agriculture? 



11. What advantages has the rural over the city or village school in 

 offering courses in domestic science, manual training and agriculture? 



What are some disadvantages? 



How to Get Information. 



1. Study your home state agricultural experiment station reports. 



2. Read the agricultural press. 



3. Write to or visit successful corn growers. 



4. Correspond with your state corn growers' association. 



5. Write for books and bulletins on corn. 



6. Make some tests on your own farm. 



Exercises. 



Fall Contest Seed-corn selection, plowing, making collec- 

 tions and naming seeds, mounting insects, making seed racks and 

 dryers. 



Winter Contest Naming soil types, woods, barks, lumber, 

 grains; making drawings of farms, barns, dwellings; rope-tying, 

 hitching, horse-mounting, stock- judging, solving Agricultural 

 problems. 



Spring Contest Making testers for seeds; testing germina- 

 tion ; naming birds, buds, blossoms, flowers, leaves. 



Students should be encouraged to hunt for beautiful quo- 

 tations from the best authors that are applicable to the subject 

 under consideration. 



Schools should have courses in manual training; domestic 

 science ; there should be baking contests, sewing contests ; in- 

 struction in household economy ; learn to construct handy 

 household articles ; ironing boards, broom holders, shelves, cases, 

 boxes, and other useful articles. 



And above all things else, let the boy have his pocket knife 

 for, 



"In the education of the lad, 

 No little part that implement hath had, 

 His pocket knife to the young whittler brings 

 A growing knowledge of material things. 



Projectiles, music, and the sculptor's art, 

 His chestnut whistle and his shingle dart, 

 His elder pop-gun with its hickory rod, 

 Its sharp explosion and rebounding wad, 



