The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-09-03
VACATION TRIP
 ON THE PROFITS
 OF SCHOOL FARMING

To prove that farming-the right kind of farming-pays is one of the tasks which the rural school has em- phatically set itself. It Is particularly essential to make the school children realize the money value of agricul- tures not as a theory, but as a prac- ticaI tfaot and one of the best ways for demonstrating it has been shown to be sIet to the children actually farm al bit of ground and collect the proceeds. Recently the United States Commissioner of Education, Dr. P. P. Claxton, had occasion to welcome d party of southern boys and girls who were on a sightseeing tour of Wash ington with money earned in their own farming.
 Real farming did it" said Dr. C1axton. in describing the experiment. The money earned from their indi- viduaI garden patches in connection with the study of up-to-date farming school children. The children came from the Second Congressional Dis- trict Agricultural School at Driver. near Norfolk. The party was in charge of Mir. J. B. L.. De Jarnette, the principal of the school, and he was a busy man indeed during the threeIdays spent in seeing the sights of the Nations capital.
 Tomatoes and other produce paid the full cost of the trip-which was just s1s.7s for each pupil, by the way. This amount was only a compara- lively small part of their total earn inEs for the year. The children come from one of the best gardening re- sions in the South, and their school has a-unique place in that particular community The school has an in- structor in agriculture, who teaches other three days in farm demonstra- ton work, applying on the actual farms of the district the theory he imparts in school"
 Further inquiry showed that this is not the first time the children have learned that intelligent farming brings in a cash return Each student makes regularly d profit of from $25 to $1OO on the Individual garden patch he cu1- tivates Tn addition. the children help in working a school farm, which af- ter paying all expenses, including the wages of a man who serves both as a faru1-hand and school janitor, shows q profit of about s200 MT. De Jar nette is confident that with a 75 acre farm. which he hopes to have soon, his boys will be able to earn their own living entirely while attending school
 The State of Virginia is among the rapidly increasing number of states that are beginning to realize the inn oortance of adequate agricultural ed- ,cation. and money has been appro- oriated to aid the school. There have also been private benefactions. A new s25oOO building is to be dedicate n September, and pr. CIaxton has promised to be present at the cere- monies.
 The experiment at Driver is only one Of many indications of what the American rural school can and should do All over the country efforts are being made to bring home to the country districts the significance and ~zlue of agriculture. The rural school is, the essential link in the chain, and the United States Bureau of Educa- ton is endeavoring to drive this fact home so deep it will never be forgot ten, for the Bureau maintains that the rural school must provide the kind n< baiasRs ths+ git1 not only fit boys.