Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-19
SCHOOL FARM TO
BE ESTABLISHED
County Superintendent Fergu-
son Proposes Experimenting
Grounds for Youth.
TO STUDY AGRICULTURE
Fifteen Acres VIII Be Purchased in
Vicinity of MiIan-FollOw Lead
of Other Sections of State.

Believing that an experimental
school ia agricultural work is needed
in Rock Island county, Superintendent
S. ]. Ferguson has determined to sup
ply such an institution at his own ex-
pense if necessary.
Mr.. Ferguson has watched the work
of the experiment stations located in
other counties throughout the state,
and he has decided that the time is
ripe to have one in Rock Island COun-
ty. Accordingly. he intends to buy from
10 to Is acres of land back of Milan, if
possible, and turn it into an experiment
tai station where the youth of the
county who are interested in agricul-
ture can receive some really valuable
experience to go with the knowledge
which can be obtained from their text
books
Mr.. Ferguson's term of Office is near
ing a close, and although there seems
no probability of opposition to his nom
inatioh, he is so enthused with the pro
ject that he wants to see it started be
fore his time is out
WIFE Arouse Interest.
L
that an experimental station such as
he is planning VIII go va long way to-
wards arousing a new spirit among the
youthful farmers of the county. In
farming. as in every other line of life
employment, it is the man who enjoys
his work and puts some thought into
it who has the most success and who Is
worth the most to his felloW-men. If
a farmer decides his work is mere
drudgery necessary to furnish him with
the substance of life, he neither enjoys
his life nor does anything to make
others enjoy their lives or better their
conditions Mr.. Ferguson's aim is TO
teach the farmer boy that the care of
a farm is really a science which can
be made, by proper application and
thought as fascinating an occupation
as one would want. When the farmers
of the county and of the world con-
ceive this idea the whole standard of
life will be greatly raised. 4
wants Bad Land.
The land which Mr.. Ferguson hopes :
TO secure for his experimental station !
is as bad as he can find in this vicinity.
He wants it this way, and would have
it no other, as he wants the experiment
ters to turn it from what it is into as
good farm land as there is in the coun-
ty. 1t is the county superintendent
plan to lay his plot of ground off into
three parts and to work each part sep |
arately. One section will be used just
as it is found. another will be treated
to one kind of fertilizer and the other
will be treated in some other way
High school pupils from the cities and
towns of the county and young men
from the farms will be eligible to join
the classes. The authorities at the
state university have promised Mr..
Ferguson to assume charge of the
school in the matter of directing the
work, and a special representative of
the institution will come here when
ever it is thought necessary to exem- /
plify and direct the work. The work I
could be made to prove very fascinat- I
ing. and those who take it will un-
doubtedIy learn to enjoy it, and the (.
result will be an improvement in the /.
methods of farming used in this county .
and an accompanying rise in the stand .
ard of the farmer and his crops.
Two stations in Henry.
Henry county boasts of two such ex-
detrimental stations, one of which is /
run entirely by the county itself. The .
supervisors have devoted 20 acres of /
land at the poor farm for experimental /
work for the members of the classes, /
and the board of education buys and .
supplies the materials which are used .
in the work The station there would .
not be discontinued for anything. In .
conjunction with the agitation for a .
township high school in Coe township .
comes the suggestion that an expert
mental farm be laid out there. The .
high school idea has not assumed any .
concrete proportions as yet, but in case
it does Mr. Ferguson will endeavOr to
have agricultural work among the
courses Of instruction