a revival of play. In European countries we find that in near- 

 ly all rural communities there are forms of play peculiar to 

 those communities. Folk dancing, games, and contests are 

 common at thejr "play festivals" and in them all the people of 

 the community take part. In America there has been danger 

 of letting all our play become commercialized. The moving pic- 

 ture show is a type of this commercialized recreation. The 

 county fair of today has degenerated because it became com- 

 mercialized. Especially in rural communities is needed a strong 

 movement toward wholesome recreation. In some sections of 

 the United States strides are being made through musical or- 

 ganizations, where people get together to sing. As the ac- 

 quaintance with good music increases, the moral tone of all 

 social life is raised. In other places drama is being studied 

 and given. The present interest in old fashioned dances and 

 "folk" dances is doing much to bring a change into the country 

 dance, which is being restored to the really social play of the 

 old colonial times in which young and old participated. Re- 

 creation or play should express the best there is in country 

 life. It should be produced by the people and express their 

 thought. It is through such recreation that mind and body 

 is kept youthful. 



Betts in his "New Ideals in Rural Schools" gives the fol- 

 lowing vivid summary of some of the agencies at work for ad- 

 vancement in methods of farming: "Special corn trains and 

 dairy trains have traversed nearly every county in many states 

 teaching the farmers scientific methods. Lectures on scienti- 

 fic agriculture have found their way into many communities. 

 The Federal government has encouraged in every way the 

 spread of information and the development of enthusiasm in 

 agriculture. The agricultural schools and colleges have given 

 courses on instruction during the winter to farmers. Far- 

 mers' institutes have been organized; corn-judging and stock- 

 judging contests have been held; prizes have been offered for 

 the best results in the raising of grain and of vegetables or 

 stock. New varieties of grains have been introduced, im- 

 proved methods of cultivation have been discovered, and 

 means of enriching and conserving the soil devised. Stock 



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