SOCIAL CAUSES OF UNREST 139 



periment. With what zest those plots were cared for! 

 The study was intended to be vocational, but there was 

 no subject taught in that school more cultural ; not only 

 so, but every cultural subject benefited by the presence 

 of the one vocational one. Pupils, learning for real 

 life, became eager for all education. Again, when I 

 first knew Spencerville few of the school children could 

 name the wild flowers ; some could not even recognize 

 the forest trees. The school principal had the boys be- 

 gin a collection of native woods. It aroused such in- 

 terest that a collection so excellent was secured that 

 when once the Governor-General visited the Brockville 

 schools to grace the opening of the Macdonald Manual 

 Training School, the loan of this collection was asked 

 for by the county superintendent as an exhibit. Xow, 

 this study of native woods was taken up as cultural. It 

 gave some boys at least such a new interest in the 

 country that it proved vocational as well, fitting them 

 for, and retaining them upon, the farm. 



Not only is the chief trend of our present mode of 

 education away from the farm, but as compared with 

 the same mode of education in the cities our country 

 schools are inefficient. In the city teaching is made a 

 life vocation ; in the country it is made a stepping-stone 

 to some other career. The average time spent by our 

 rural teachers in this profession is less than four years. 

 Of all city teachers professional training is demanded ; 

 in the country many are permitted to teach, not only 

 without professional training, but even without a certifi- 

 cate of general attainments. Moreover, even with ill- 

 qualified teachers, country schools are more expensive 

 than city ones, inasmuch as adequately paid teachers 

 for well filled classes cost less per pupil than the poorly 





