I04 



ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



-subject whicli is worthy of a place in the country school course of study? 

 -It is true, I have used'a few unfamiliar terms, and these words will sound 

 'Strange when first heard by our country school children. I beg of you, 

 liowever, to think of the scores of words which you were compelled to 

 learn and use when at school and which you have forgotten since your 

 -school days. Do you not recollect that j-ou were taught to use such 

 ■words and phrases as "minuend," "subtrahend," the "least common mul- 

 tiple," and the "greatest common divisor," and scores of others in arith- 

 :metic, grammar, and other books ? Do you not agree with me that the 

 -words, "protein," "carbohydrates" and "ether extract" are just as import- 

 ant as many of those old school-day words, and that the, farmer boy and 

 girl should become familiar with them? Do you not agree with me 

 further that the country school teacher might profitably lead the little 

 people she is teaching slowly ahead until after a time they have a fair 

 understanding of these feeding tables, and the older ones be taught to 

 calculate rations not only for the dairy cow, as we have done today, but 

 for the horse, the fattening steer, the sheep, and the pig. If this subject 

 were taught in the country school, would not the boys and girls coming 

 liome at night have interesting topics for discussion at the supper table, 

 and would not father and mother as well as John and Mary become in- 

 ierested? When doing his daily chores, would not John supply feed to 

 the farm stock with more carefulness than if he had never thought of 

 these subjects before? 



IS IT NOT PRACTICAL? 



If our teachers! can acquire a k nowledge of arithmetic, physiology, and 

 other branches sufficient to^ pass examinations thereon and to teach these 

 branches more or less successfully, could they not in time gain sufficient 

 proficiency in some of the farm topics to teach them effectively and to the" 

 great advantage of all concerned? Remember that what I have here 

 presented is only one of many subjects which might well come into our 

 course of study for the rural schools. If such topics as these were added 

 to the course of study, would not much good be accomplished thereby? 



