110 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



into those schools, city or country, that desire to take it up 

 under equal conditions with any other subject in those 

 schools ; and then let the process of evolution do the rest. 

 And I should hope that these subjects would be discussed, 

 and intimately, by the agricultural people of the State. 



One other subject I would speak about, and that is, the 

 question as to whether or not we shall have separate schools 

 for the instruction in agriculture. Upon that question I am 

 not going to express any decided opinion at the present 

 time, although I have some opinions. I think that question 

 is of secondary consideration. I think the first consider- 

 ation is that the schools of the Commonwealth should be 

 open to agriculture and nature-study, such as I suggest, on 

 equality with other subjects ; and then, after that transpires, 

 if it is thought to be desirable to have certain special schools 

 to teach agriculture, that question can come up for special 

 consideration. But I should be very sorry to have any 

 l)opular ^demand in the eastern States whereby all agricul- 

 tural instruction would be relegated to special schools, and 

 not be put on a parity with the other instruction of the 

 common schools. In other words, I do not believe in putting 

 all the agricultural students off by themselves, and putting 

 tags in their ears. I would want them to feel that they 

 have the same opportunity in the public schools that other 

 children have in other studies. Then the time may come, 

 and very possibly will, when for more special training in 

 certain regions we may need supplementary institutions, in 

 which agriculture and domestic science and some other 

 studies are taught. 



These, then, are, in a very brief and imperfect Avay, some 

 of my own opinions and points of view in regard to the 

 study of agriculture in our schools ; and I wish to say, in 

 closing, that the subject is on for discussion, and any indiffer- 

 ence on the part of school teachers or indifference on the 

 part of farmers cannot stop the discussion, — it is in the air. 

 A few of the States have adopted text books ; whether that 

 is wise or not, I am not going to say. Some of them have 

 enacted laws compelling the teachers who seek certificates 

 for certain grades to pass examinations in agriculture ; 



