The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-24

selves of the boys assistance soon
learn which of their COWS ere yielding
a profit, and those that do not come
UP to the standard are fattened n
passed on to the butcher. An improve
ment in the Grafton dairy herds can
not fail to be the outcome, and with
this must come added interest in
d~airying.
Moreover, Mr.. Macy and his boys
assist the farmers in selecting breed
ing stock, in choosing plats for pota-
toes, corn and alfalfa. They help in
making out rotation systems, in the
planning Of barns, in placing silos,
and in many other ways. They are a
corps of little brothers to the farmers.
in fact.
A Demonstrated Farm.
With the school there is a ten-acre
demonstration farm. Here are being
tried out for the region problems in
crop rotation; in the growing Of ley
crops for the Red river valley, such as
corn and alfalfa; in p~asturage, with
two cows owned by the school as test
animals: in gardening, and so on. This
bit of a farm is a source of informa-
ton not only for the boys in the
classes but for their parents and for
and others who may care to draw up
on it.
Furthermore, for the young people
Of both sexes, who have not had OPP
portunities to prepare for the regular
high hoo courses, or who are barred
otherwise from attending the school,
there is an eight weeks winter short
course, free to all those more than IA
years of age who ma wish to come.
1t begins early in December and con-
tinueS until about the middle of Feb
ruary, with a break for the Christmas
holidays. The hours are such, too, that
the boys n girls may come in from
the farms after doing the mornings
chores and get back in time for the
evening duties. For the current ses-
sion, the short course students are at
work on the subjects of d~airying, beef
cattle, silos, sheep, draft horses, hogs,
poultry, crop rotations, weed pests,
fertilization, corn, alfalfa, wheat, oats,
grasses, and soils. The course is SIM
pie but comprehensive, and so devised
as to create an interest in diversified
ton.
A Mid-winter Institute.
For older folks-but for the young as
WELCOMES late in January a three
days institute. Farmers institutes
are among the indoor winter sports of
the northwest these days, and North
Dakota likes them. The institute at
Grafton this year gave compact in
struction in soils, dairying, home
economies, good roads, the growing of
corn and alfalfa, n in~terspersed
this with features of a broader cultur-
al nature. The total attendance ran
into the thousands.
The outlines of the short course and
institute work are highly significant.
Remember that Grafton is a Red river
valley town, and that the Red river
valley has been almost exclusively a
grain prnwino ropinn Va I-Li
short course and institute the en-
phasis has been upon stock and
d1versification as the %soundest agri-
culture. Put together the regular
work of the Grafton schools DEPART
ment of agriculture, it's demonstra-
ton farm work, its short course and
It's institute prosrams-put together
all of these, and you see that the
schoo is an instrument Of force for
hastening the day of a new agriculture
IN, the Red river valley, an agricul-
u that Will put the valley back in
It's place Of prominence in crop nro-
auction n keep it there.
County Agricultural Schools.
North Dakota has, however, estab-
llshed another form of a%gricultura1
school, known as the county agricuI-
tural and training school. There are
9niy W OF these as yet. one at Park
"hN oilS al NIaQQOCk, but 0thapS
Will doubtless follow. These schoo1s
are Intended primarily to be teachers,
framing schools, but many who attend
40 SO merely for the sake of the teen
meal training, to be used on he farm
or IN the shop. To obtain such q schoni
a county has to provide the GROUNDS
ana buildings and a part of the main
enance. To the maintenance fund tba
state adds $4,000 annually. At Part5
River the city schools and the traininn
school cooperate, giving the citS
schools the advantage Of the indl1strieI
work. OF the county type of school
much Is expected. SeAooA
In high schools of the tyne of rho
GRAFTON school there are, also, normaI
courses, for the training of taachans
Tor the rural schools. U~nfortunate1S
Ior such work no state aid is piven
Bur this Is a lack that is cer+ain' =.
be remedied before long. ~
Present School Work Tentative
In its agricultural high schools I'LL.
that at Grafton; in its county Schools
IKE that at Park River, and in its bbiiaS,
school normal work, North Dakota hSon
mus Tar been experimenting: laraa1 rs
BUT 1T has been experimenting NOT SotS.
the principles Of the system. h,it upo
It's application to North Dakota,s @pnh
dltions. The success Of the exnerin,saun t-