The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-15
CITY BOYS GAN BE
 GOOD FARMERS Kansas Is iolving Problem of the Fad Town Boy FARM SCHOOL IS SUCCESS Growing Of Plants and Animals Charms the Boy Who Has Been Allowed To Run Wild in
 the Big Cities.
FARM SCHOOL IS SUCCESS

Topeka, Kan, November 14.-(Special.) Teach the bad boy from the city farming and he will become a good citi- gen." might be used as an appropriate motto for the Kansas Industrial School for Boys. A series of reports covering the work iof this institution for four years has shown the state board of control for the charitable institutions that the street &rab has natural aversion to the mechanical trades, but Is easily interested in farming and animals. Once interested in these things, the bad boy is on the high road to success and to good citizenship.
 The average bad boy from the farm who gets into the industrial school can not be made into good citizen by the work on the farm He apparently is more interested in the mechanical trades That country life is not conducive to making bad boys is shown by the fact that S2 per cent of the boys in the school are from the cities and a large propor- ton of these city boys are from the larger cities of the state.
 Because of the larger number of city bred boys in the school and the fact that they are more interested in farm ing than other work, the state board of control wants to purchase from 1000 to 2,coo acres of West Kansas land and establish there real boys farm for reform and industrial school.
 The board has only a few hundred acres at the school near Topeka, and that does not permit of enough farming
 Cannot Grow Heavy Crops. The board members believe that with a 2,000-acre farm, the institution could be made almost, if not quite, self-sup- porting. The boys now grow much of the farm produce and vegetables used at the institution, although there is not enough ground to permit real farming in many lines Little wheat Or corn or other great cereal crops are grown and not much stock is raised. The boys want more farm work and ask fer it, after they have become interested in the farm.
 The boys are allowed much freedom in their work and can do almost as they please about the farm and grounds. Many become so interested in certain phases of the farm work that they do not want to leave the institution when their terms expire, even to go to the home of some farmer who agrees to take care of the boy. give him a home. clothes and a little spending money knd send him to school and look after him until the boy is 21 years of age.
 City Boys Go To Farm.
 The board of control does not permit the boys who came from the cities to the school to go back to the cities for adoption. It is very seidom that a city bred boy is even willing to go back to the city. as he is too much interested in pigs and chickens and the growing of onions, potatoes and waterineons.
 During the last fiscal year the insti- tuition had only four former "street arabs who had been sent to good farm homes returned because of a relapse. No amount of penal service accomplishes as much in reforming a bad boy as patch of ground, where he can grow some thing useful in competition with other boys.
 "A great big farm where we can do everything that Is done on a fagm and still maintain discipline, is what we need most for the industrial school" said c. H. Bowman, chairman of the board of control. ''The bad boy is chap who has been lacking in discipline and the things that interest him. When we get him we keep experimenting until we find something that interests and pleases him and then let him keep at it.
 Nine of every ten boys that come to the school from the cities quickly find their places. They get interested in farm ing. That is why we want a larger farm. Then we could do more for the good of the boy and give him real insight into farm work"