Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-01-29

purpose; and it seems to me the luedl dr.
| rangement would be to have it in connec-
ton with high school, as tits would not
only lessen the cost of maintenance
but it would enable students in either school
! to partake of some of the advantages OF the
other At any rate the cost of procuring
quarters for the school would be compare
lively small if properly managed,
The first cost, that Of procuring quarters
and equipment. being disposed of, the cost
of maintenance is next to be considered, ana
when we consid that the state pays Two
thirds of the expense of maintenance. the
balance of the expense really dwarfs into
inSignificance.
1t is not contemplated. that these schools
shall be expensive institutions. force OF
three competent instructors can do the
work. and do it well. AS a matter of fact
the cost of maintaining one of these coun-
ty schools would be so small as to be almost
| imperceptible to the individual taxpayer,
and should not for one moment be consider
ed when weighed against the benefits to be
derived. From figures received from the
state superintendent'S office-I am enabled
to arrive at very close estimate of
what the cost of maintenance would be. In
counties where these schools are now main
4
of not to exceed $1,000 to be raised by the
county. A tax of $1,000 on the taxable prop
erty of Grant county would amount to a
trihe more than five cents on the thousand
dollars of assessment In other words, the
man who is assessed on $1,000 of property
would pay FIVE cents toward the support
| and maintenance of the school, and the man
who is assessed on $4,000 worth of property
would pay fifty cents. You will all agree
with me that these amounts are not burden
some.
And now as to the benefits to be derived:
believe that every boy who finishes the
agricultural course at the state university
is worth his weight in gold to the state. This
is not meant figurately but it is meant to
convey exactly the idea expressed. mean
/ that he actually adds that much wealth to
the state. That being true, what power
| full influence would any institution WELD
| that would enable all of the boys and all of
| the girls. who were so inclined, after finish
ing their district. graded or high school
courses. to get instruction along lines that
they expect to follow as life work, and
this at a comparatively little expense.
Within a radius of several miles of the
| school students could attend school without
being away from home nights, and those
| living at greater distance could, if they
| chose, go home Friday evenings and re-
turn Monday mornings at little expense.
We all know that TO get boy interested
in his work is sometimes a diff1cuIt task, and
we feel that when that interest is once
| thoroughly aroused the battle is practically
won and we need have little fear for his
future. Let the boy once appreciate that
! he is not mere drudge, but that his actions
are being directed by intelligent thought.
with some definite aim and towards the
accomplishment of desired end, and it
gives him new zest, a new b Id on life, a
desire to do things he never before had,
and he goes out into the world, a factor to
be reckoned with.
| quote from a letter recently received
from assistant state superintendent Harper
He says in speaking of the county schools of
| agriculture and domestic economy: These
schools have gained a strong hold on the
| counties in which they are located. I think
this is owing largely to the fact that the
members of the faculty make it business
to arrange fer meetings of the far mers of
the county and to give lectures upon differ
ent subjects relating to agricultural in
| terests. They also make it rule to tell
| the farmers of the best varieties of grain as
shown by the different experiment stations
throughout the United States. The boys in
these schools are called upon to test the
terminating power and terminating value
of grains of all kinds; and the same is true
of making milk tests of the different cows
in the herds scattered throughout the
county. In fact there are hardly any
suggestions for improvement of the rural
homes that escape the attention of the
| teachers of these schools
THE stereopticon is used in many of the
lectures in order that the farmer may be
! given to understand something of plants
and plant growth. Care OF machinery,
farm buildings. and care and distribution
of fertilizers, rotation of crops, study of
soils. ETC., etc, are all discussed at these
meetings Students in the school. although
comparatively young, take hearty interest
in all this work, particularly III the work
of determining terminating values of seeds
and making milk ties S.
"These schools also teach the pupils man
ual training. Turning lathes, work benches
planes and the tools usually used by wood
workers are furnished. In the older schools
pupils are taught iron welding, bolt thread
cutting, and number of things that are of
advantage to any one on the farm. Indeed
smaller forms of farm machinery gives
way, the boy trained in one of agricultural
schools will know how to repair the damage
without losing any time in going TO the
village blacksmith or the village wheel
wright
This paper has been very hastily thrown
together without any attempt at rhetorical
effect. My greatest difficulty in preparing
it has been to say one-tenth of what 1 want
! to say in the ten minutes allotted to me.
have not had time to mention the domestic
economy side of these schools, wherein the
girls may learn dressmaking, every phase of
housekeeping and hundred other interest
ing things that add interest and pleasure to
farm life L should like to dwell at some
length upon the influence these schools
would have in keeping the boys and girls on
the farm. and upon numerous other ideas
that have occurred to me, but must per
force. refrain from doing so. | only hope
that have aroused sufficient interest in