Agriculture and Its Needs 25 



far as general elementary instruction is con- 

 cerned, tt is true that there is a lack of 

 grading and an absence of plan by which 

 pupils may progress from one plane to an- 

 other and continually look forward to 

 higher work. But it is also true that the 

 instruction is more individual, and that all 

 of the pupils hear all of the instruction and 

 all of the recitations in all subjects and in 

 all grades of work. The rural schools are 

 at least reasonably free from the overcrowd- 

 ing, the overdoing, and the over-exploita- 

 tion for all manner of ends that is so common 

 in the cities. The teaching is by young 

 women of an average competency which is 

 now remarkably high, and no one is allowed 

 to teach without proved competency which 

 is reasonable. If there could be a uniform 

 system of supervision by superintendents 

 who hold or can earn teachers' certificates, 

 in districts that are small enough to make 



