36 



at the school in which part of their time is spent. The shop 

 provides in illustrations and practical work the raw materials; 

 the school, the finished educational product. 



Farm Boys may be favorably placed, but require Concurrent 

 Practice and thinking about that Practice. Boys and girls 

 who expect to follow farming for a living probably are not ex- 

 ceptions to the general rule. Vocationally effective education 

 for them, also, must involve an intimate relationship between 

 practical and technical training. 



Related Study at the School. The question now arises, 

 Where is the boy to secure correct experience in farming? It 

 will not be difficult for the school to give related scientific knowl- 

 edge, provided the pupil brings to it a background of experi- 

 ence in agricultural activities that enables him to assimilate 

 it, and provided he is able, through his practice on a farm of 

 some type, to fix the principles and theories gained in the school 

 room. 



Previous Farm Practice not Sufficient. It seems to be clear 

 that the pupils of an agricultural school do not, as a rule, bring 

 to their studies about agriculture a body of previous farm ex- 

 perience which the school can utilize in giving a working mas- 

 tery of the principles and theories that lie back of the best 

 practice. The greater number come from farm homes where 

 they may, or may not, have been fortunate enough to receive 

 directed practice in scientific agriculture. There is at least a 

 slight movement from city to country. It may be expected that 

 a small portion of the enrollment in agricultural schools of 

 secondary grade will consist of city and village boys who have 

 had no training in the routine of the farm. In order that such 

 boys may bring to their training something like the same ad- 

 vantages possessed by the country-bred pupil, they should, if 

 possible, previous to entering the school have spent at least 

 one year on a farm. While this discussion is primarily con- 

 cerned with the country-bred boy, it is, in the principles it lays 

 down, equally or even more forcibly applicable to the city or 

 village boy who has farming aspirations. 



The previous farm experience of the country-bred boy may 

 have been directed by a farmer who has been too hard pressed 



