babcock] A GRICUL TURE IN SECOND A R V SCHOOLS 2 1 5 



cannot be given here. The writer is fortunate in having a report 

 from Mr. F. H. Bolster of the Gardena High School in the shape 

 of an address, which he made before the local farmers' club. 

 Following are some extracts: 



"The work of the Gardena High School is distinctive not in 

 chat it is 3 city high school offering agriculture, for some city high 

 schools in other States have been offering agriculture for some 

 time. But it is distinctive in that it is the first city high school to 

 offer agriculture as the one principal purpose of the school. 



"The elementary course which was given to first year high 

 school pupils was called general science. The aims of the course 

 were to give a little general knowledge of several sciences to show, 

 how all these sciences are related to agriculture, and last and 

 most important, to develop the individual by teaching him to 

 reason. 



"We used no text but performed experiments which had a direct 

 hearing on agriculture. We would state the experiment as a ques- 

 tion and then try to answer the question. For example, How 

 deep should seed be planted? When seeds germinate, what gas 

 is given off? How may we best retain moisture in soils? How 

 can we control alkali ? Do vetches grow better if inoculated with 

 bacteria, or if not inoculated? The material would be placed 

 before the pupils. The method would be described and the pre- 

 cautions given. Then they would go about it and from the 

 result draw their conclusion which was the answer to the question. 

 But that was not enough. Take for instance an experiment 

 whose relation to agriculture is least obvious. What gas is given 

 off by germinating seeds? They came to the conclusion that 

 carbon dioxide was given off. But what difference does it make 

 whether this gas is given off or not ? What bearing does that have 

 on agriculture. If the experiment is left there, we have only 

 learned an interesting fact which is of no use whatever. The 

 experiment must be applied if it is to be made valuable. I try to 

 draw from the pupil the application to agriculture by reasoning 

 from one step on to another. What is carbon dioxide? A gas 

 composed of carbon and oxygen. If carbon dioxide is given off 

 by germinating seeds, what must be going on in the seed? Oxi- 

 dation or burning, the same as in our bodies when we exhale the 

 same gas, or when wood burns. Where does the carbon come 

 from ? From the seed itself. Where does the oxygen come from ? 

 From air in the soil. Can this oxidation go on in the seed if there 

 is no air in the soil ? Certainly not. Then air must be present in 

 the soil in order that seeds may germinate just as much as mois- 

 ture must be present. This brings up the whole matter of soil 

 ventilation — the whole matter of thorough preparation of seed 

 bed and the pupil begins to understand that tillage is just as 

 necessary to give air to the seed as to keep the weeds down. 



