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cultural pupils the benefits arising from instruction in mechanical branches. Other 
colleges do not offer any mechanical instruction at all, hut depend entirely upon the 
college farm to supply the necessary manual labor. It is certainly true that in 
many of our colleges manual instruction is regarded as of secondary importance. 
Thus it happens that the development of the young agriculturist along manual 
lines may have been neglected. The farmer needs all the skill of handiwork that 
he can acquire. He needs this work in school just as much if not more than the 
student of mechanics. If the farmer boy does not acquire manual skill in college 
he will, in most cases, never get it at all, for his lack of time will prevent him from 
attaining to any great degree of skill while performing ordinary farm labors. On 
the other hand the progressive mechanic from the very nature of his calling is con- 
stantly developing his powers of delicacy and skill. We may give the student of 
mechanics principles and theories, but he must get his experience out of school. 
Education, someone has said, is the development of power in the pupil. This 
development may take place in various ways. It may be brought about by experi- 
ence as one goes on in life and comes into contact with bright men of the world. 
The jyrocess may be hastened, however, by submitting the youth to a systematic and 
graded course of study. 
One of the greatest needs of the average farmer to-day is this lesson of system. 
We know that there is a power in systematized action that can not bo successfully 
opposed either by strength or numbers. If our students are to make the best use of 
their powers they must early learn the value of system. The college that he attends 
must be founded on system. He must be encouraged to carry on his college work in 
all lines according to some system. Class instruction must be given in an orderly 
and not haphazard manner. The teacher must at all times remember that his man- 
ner is influencing the pupils for good or for otherwise. The courses of shop work 
must be arranged in a regular step-by-step order, and if the arrangement is so well 
chosen that the pupil himself can recognize the sequence of the various operations 
as he studies them one by one, he will have a greater respect and confidence in the 
work at hand. He knows that he is moving forward and that the last step is more 
difficult than the one just before it. 
On the college farm every hoe, shovel, rake, plow, chain, or tool of any kind must 
have its definitely assigned keeping place under cover, and when not in use should be 
found in its place. In the carpenter shop, the tools that the student uses commonly 
at the bench should be kept in a drawer, rack, closet, or other convenient space at 
the bench. Special tools should be kept in a tool room and may be borrowed by the 
students as occasion requires. If a tool is missing let the student who is respon- 
sible for it do nothing else until it has been recovered. Each tool should be sharp- 
ened as it becomes dulled. It is very bad practice to use all of the tools one after 
another till all become dulled or out of order. 
The teacher has a grave responsibility in directing the pupil in his first efforts. 
With many the first few days means either success and a fondness for subsequent 
work, or failure and a general dislike for school work ever after. If a boy in learn- 
ing the carpenter's trade is allowed to work at a bench that is untidy and the tools 
half buried with shavings and dirt, that boy learns his lesson of carelessness and 
disorder and becomes a poor carpenter. Teach the students that in order to do good 
work it is not necessary to chew tobacco, wear an old hat on the back of his head, 
nor to hold an old black pipe in his mouth, as we might reasonably infer if we were 
to visit the average shop in this country. 
Do not allow the student, at first, to help himself to lumber and other supplies, as 
it tends to make him wasteful. Keep record and account books in all dejiartments. 
If the student is engaged in any construction work require him to keep a record of 
all materials used, as well as his time spent upon it. In this way the student can 
acquire the ability to estimate, within reasonable limits, the cost of needed improve- 
ments at home. If you are supplied with steam power, keep a close account of the 
