Vol. I.XXIX. 
Published Weekly by The Rural Publishing Co.. 
383 \V. 30th St.. Non York. Price tine Dollar a Year. 
XKYV YOUK, MARCH 2(1. 1P:M 
Entered as Second-Class Matter, .lime 2(1. 1870, at the Post ... , 
Office at New York. N. Y.. under the Act of March 3, X87!i. «*••>! 
Junior Hi^h School—A New Suggestion 
R 1 IIAL EDl’CATION.—1t seems especia 1ly timely 
just now for all good citizens to consider ser 
iously the rural school question, and to come to souk* 
conelusion if possible as Id the best way l<> educate 
he,vs and girls in the country. There cannot he too 
Punch discussion of this most important subject. \Ye 
al 1 have opinions, and it is very valuable to have 
these opinions made public. We max not agree with 
each other, and if we do not still move valuable 
ideas may he brought out. We want t<> consider the 
view of tin' rural teacher and of the village teacher, 
the view of the father and of the mother, and the 
view of the taxpayer. We want plans presented for 
far as I know, there is none yet in, the country dis¬ 
tricts of our State. I believe there will lie a great 
many as soon as we find out how well they are 
adapted to our needs. There are different types of 
these schools. It is the type known as tin* 6-(> which 
I wish to describe. This junior high school includes 
the seventh grade, the eighth grade and the four 
years of high school, six years in all. The usual 
grade and high school subjects are taught, and also 
several practical or vocational subjects. That is. a 
boy or girl may take all the subjects necessary to 
prepare them to enter college if they are going to 
school with that aim and purpose. <>r if he is not 
st liool to he an agricultural high school. In the 
seventh and eighth gri des only one fanning subject 
would he taught, as tue pupils ol those grades are 
very busy finishing the grade studies. This subject 
might he corn or poultry or the use of tools. In 
first year high school two tanning subjects could he 
carried, and later three or lo ir, to some parts of 
the State these subjects should deal with muck 
farming and fruit growing, it. others with dairy 
work, and so on. In every ease i'»e farm subjects 
which are taught in the school should be those which 
are most important in that community 
‘‘TXUAMKNTAhS IN SCIEN(’11.—For instance, 
A Flock of Business liens and Their ()truer. Fir/. 200 
the bettering of our schools so as to have something 
constructive to talk about. I would here like to 
outline a few plans which are being now discussed 
in our town. The first of these is the junior high 
school. 
A NEW mi:A.—Junior high schools are new. 
They are being built in the cities, and are immensely 
successful. The Washington Junior High School in 
Rochester. X. Y.. has attracted so much attention 
that visitors are coming to it from all parts of the 
country, even from far-distant Alaska. However, as 
going to college he may take instead those subjects 
which will give him a good general knowledge and 
will help him earn his living in his own neighborhood 
whenever he may leave school. 
Ad RIC’I LTI'UAL T U AI NI Xd X E HI )E I >. — I n 
most of the rural districts of our State agriculture 
is tiie breath >f life. In it we live and move and 
have our being On it depend not only the farms, 
but also the storages, the canning factories, tin* bas¬ 
ket factories, tin- banks, the stores and even the 
churches. Naturally then we want our junior high 
in all farming, whether we know it or not. we are 
using the principles of botany, physics, chemistry 
and biology. Why in the name of common sense do 
we not insist on giving our hoys and girls a working 
knowledge of tin* fundamental laws of these sciences? 
I’.otany teaches the principles of nil plant life It 
explains lmw apple trees grow, as well as onions, 
celery and corn. It teaches the influence of sunlight 
on all crops. I’hysics has very practical teachings 
in regard to levers arid lifts. Electricity is the great 
power of the future, and the boys are begging to 
J 
