Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1915-03-19
A PLEA FOR THE
RURAL SCHOOLS

LHe opportunity anu pleasure Oh
working in some of the rural
schools of Lincoln county the
past four days, under the aus
pices of Superintendent r. P.
Coin and Mr.. J. Il. Davis, super
visor. Two or three things of
special note have come to my
attention and | cannot refrain
from unburdening myself on
you.
Mr.. Davis is the only rural
school supervisor in the state
who carries a Babcock tester
with him on his rounds and
teaches the boys and girls how
to test milk and cream and
thereby weed out the unprofit-
able cows and give their parents
a check on the monthly cream
tests.
It is safe to say that fully
fifty per cent of the dairy cows
are hardly paying for their keep.
BY teaching the boys and girls
how to weed out these star
boarders" Mr.. Davis is render
ing direct economic service to
the county that would justify his
being re-instated to do nothing
else.
In addition to this doubling of
the production of butter fat,
which will surely result if the
work is continued and properly
followed UP, Mr.. Davis is,work-
ing to increase the number OF
cows per acre Of cultivated land.
Good silage corn can be raised
in Lincoln county and a good but
cheap stave silo on every farm,
filled with succulent silage will
easily double the amount of
dairy cows now kept on every
farm. A supply of thorough
ly acclimated seed corn is the
greatest drawback at present,
and this will not be overcome
until there are number of peo-
pie in the county who get into
the corn raising business.
Mr.. Davis believes, and most
heartily agree with him, that
through the Boys Corn Clubs
we have the means for demon
strating that silage corn can be
profitably grown, and for pro-
ducing a supply of hardy, quick
growing seed com. While the
Corn Club members are render
ing this service to the county,
they will be getting the best
kind of agricultural instruction
and earning some money at the
same time. Good seed corn is
worth $500 a bushel.)
1t is my humble opinion that
the Lincoln County dairymen,
merchants and bankers can
make no better investment than
to keep Mr.. Davis on the job
twelve months in the year pro-
noting and supervising this
practical industrial work among
the boys and girls.
Another phase of rural school
supervisory work which does not
receive the attention it deserves
are the school rallies, or union
school meetings, conducted in
various parts of the county by
Supt. Coin and Mr.. Davis. Only
those who live or have lived in
remote sections can appreciate
what 1t means in both a social
and educational way to have the
opportunity to get together a
few times a year to discuss those
things of vital interest to the
community.
Finally, Mr.. Editor, have the
country boys and girls commit
ted some crime by being born
in the country which requires
that they be denied the educa-
tional advantages enjoyed by
their city cousins?
Every intelligent observer
knows that our rural schools are
being improved and that this i'm
provement has been accelerated
by efficient supervision. All the
good features of our States ed
ucational policy-the Agricul-
tural Clubs among them-are
being carried into even the most
remote districts by the rural
school supervisor.
From the standpoint OF dollars
and cents alone. the rural
school supervisors, through the
industrial club movement. are
teaching the boys and girls how
to save and create enough
wealth each year to more than
pay for the cost of supervision.
Industrial work will be almost