Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-10-03
AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL NOTES.

The Marathon County School of Agri-
culture and Domestic Economy opened
for the fall and winter term yesterday
morning, with an attendance of forty
two, which is nearly double that of last
year, showing that the farmers of Mar
athon county are awakening to the
value of the school Twenty three boys,
all but one of whom reside in the
country, have entered the classes of
agriculture and manual training, under
the supervision of Principal r. b. Johns
and J. A. Bonel Nineteen girls are
enrolled in, Miss ConleyS department
for the study of practical housekeeping
The Instructors are well pleased with
the character of students, for they dis
play better preparation as a whole
than the classes of former years and
are manlfesting better and more intelli-
gent interest in the work 1t is quite
likely that after the threshing and fall
ploughing season has passed that the
above number of students will be in
creased. The increased numbers have
given the instructors encouragement in
their work, and the school year of
1865 will be the most successful in
accomplishments of any since the
School was organized.
Glasses have been formed in litera-
ture and library work, fourteen having
entered the two-year course.
Glasses have been organized in the
work of the blacksmithing and carpen-
try, which studies prove attractive to
the new students, and they show cor
responding interest. If many more
students enroll for these studies the
classes will of necessity be divided into
sections and be worked during separate
hours, for the schools accommodations
in the shops are not adequate to success
fully work so many at one time.
Several repairs to buildings are need
ed. A steel beam will be placed under
the supporting columns at the front of
the school and the smoke stack of the
blacksmith shop, which was blown
down by the wind storm of last July,
will be rebuilt. The green house has
been put in shape for the winter, new
window lights replacing broken ones
and the sash re-puttied.
The grounds are undergoing prepare
ton for winter. The stones on the sur
face will be picked off and heavy top
dressing put on. The berry bushes
have been laid down and the shrubbery
mufched. ~. ~.
During the season just closed 81 bush
els of beets, Az bushels of carrots, 40
bushels of turnips and about $50 worth
of berries were harvested and sold off
the land demonstrating that the land
is productive, if properly drained. The
cabbage crop was failure, owing to
wet grounds, but when the sewer is
laid, which will carry off the water, the
management of the school does not an
ticipate any further trouble in that
direction.
The young orchard of three and four
year old trees is in first class condition
and number of the trees bore their
first fruit this season.
i One of the difficulties the students
have had to contend with is in finding
a boarding place at weekly cost in
keeping with their finances. Few, if
any, of them can afford to pay over So so
per week and yet a great many are
forced to pay more or discontinue
school. The students for the most part
are paying their board from money
earned on the farm at hard labor, and
inltheir struggle to gain an education
shptld be encouraged 1t would be
benefit to the school and the students if
anyone having reasonable accommoda-
tions would report the fact to the
school. "A large proportion of the boys
are able and willing to do chores for
families in payment for their board.