37 



by his own farm routine to reflect on his own practice in agri- 

 culture, or to direct the work of his son so that it might be most 

 educative from the vocational point of view. 



It is significant that many of those who are most desirous 

 that their sons shall receive agricultural education through the 

 instruction and direction of the school are among the most 

 intelligent and prosperous farmers in the Commonwealth. They 

 clearly see, for the reasons given in chapter VII. , that even the 

 best farmers cannot expect to be the best schoolmasters in this 

 line of training. 



The condition of Massachusetts farming in general is not 

 satisfactory to the leaders of agriculture nor to the community 

 at large. This means that most farm boys, so far as they bring 

 farm experience to the school, are more likely, to have been 

 brought up to use bad or indifferent methods than to use the 

 best. 



Moreover, the boy of fourteen as a rule has been too young to 

 have been able to reflect seriously or extensively on the problems 

 connected with the agricultural activities which he has observed 

 or in which he has had a part. 



It is possible, even in the absence of closely related practice, to 

 give much effective vocational training in the sciences related to 

 different farming operations to those of mature mind who have 

 had experience in them. A farmer, for example, who had for- 

 merly kept a herd of cows, might attend a course of instruction 

 in the principles of scientific dairying. By this means he might 

 make a second venture in that field more intelligent and more 

 profitable. No one will question, however, that the dairyman 

 who was able to put into immediate effect in his own herd the 

 scientific knowledge gained in such a course would acquire a 

 greater working mastery of the principles that lie back of the 

 successful pursuit of his calling. 



It seems to be clear, in short, that the more or less elementary, 

 more or less undirected or misdirected, more or less undigested 

 farming experience of the country-bred child cannot, in the 

 absence of additional practical training, be made a safe basis for 

 the effective teaching of agriculture as a vocation. 



It is true that, oft entering the agricultural school or an agri- 

 cultural department in a high school, that boy or girl must 



