The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-03-19

corn is grown, while the educational
value to the children of the high
school as we'll as the teachers of the
common schools in the district
would be most fruitful. No one
thing is better calculated to dem
onstrate to the patrons the genuine
value of their high school to them
and their children.
If corn can be improved by breed
ing, similar experiments could cas-
lily be made with wheat and oats
which would do much toward inn
proving these crops. Whether or
not it pays to fatten hogs on corn
could be actually proved by weigh
ing some hogs, measuring the corn
fed to them and working out the
problem. The mathematics involv-
ed would be of the genuine sort. 1t
would be a valuable experience if
on butchering day the principal and
his pupils would spend the time
studying all that takes place. 1t
would be a profitable thing to find
out the best way to cure pork and
visit neighbor when he prepares
his meats. If there is a dairy in
the community, it could be made
the basis of much good school work
How to make good butter on a farm
would be profitable question for
study. The value and construction
of silo could be studied. Recently
we were given a problem something
like this: A man has twenty cows
to which he desires to feed 40 cubic
feet of ensilage each day from No
vember until May. He expects to
build cylindrical silo. He desires
to take two inches of ensilage off
the top each day; what would be
the dimensions of the silo? This
problem illustrates the kind of
mathematics progressive farmers
are often called upon to use. The
township high school should be
willing servant of those who cannot
solve them, while those who attend
the school should work over every
problem of the community until
they are fully competent to solve
any problem they are likely to meet.
Then there are experiments and
observations concerning the house
hold which should be studied. The
water and sewer systems, heating
and ventilating a home properly,
the arrangement and decoration Of
the rooms, home conveniences
which save time and effort, the
right kind of pictures and reading
matter, the lawn and garden, the
right kind of vegetables and how to
raise and keep them, how to can
iruit and vegetables successfully,
now to fry steak and cook meats,
the dangers in dampness and dust,
care of the sick, etc.
One of the best tests of a mans
usefulness is his ability to repair
common things when they need it.
How to mend leaking valve in a
common pump, repair and care Of
farm implements, making common
apparatus necessary OIL the farm,
The way to prepare and use cement;
Ill these things and many more
may very wisely be included in the
work of the township high school
Every township high school ought
to have common workshop equip
ped with tools and apparatus enough
% make all the devices necessary
N the industrial work of the
school, such as the box to test seed
corn, apparatus for physics, chem
istry and botany, etc. Many things
needed in the home could thus be
made under the direction of the
teacher. In this connection there
would be afforded good practice in
sketching and drawing plans of
work to be done.
There should be actual accounts
kept by the pupils showing the ex-
act profit or loss from each field on
The farm, the dairy, the horses, the
garden, the hogs. the orchard and
any other line of occupation carried
on in the community. Under the
direction of the principal these ac-