Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-04-26
CHANCE FOR BOYS
TO AID ON FARMS
illustrated Talk on Vail School
Given by Director
Board Of Education to Conduct Three
Camps This Summer and Hopes for
80 Boys in Each Camp.

An attractive opportunity for boy!
interested in "doing their Bit" this
summer on Vermont farms to obtain &
little coaching and enjoy two weeks OF
near-camping while doing it and then
be taken to the farms where they arc
to work for a fair wage at no expense
to themselves was presented April
Is in the high school auditorium by
Il. G. Reynolds, acting director of the
T. n. Vail agricultural school at Lyn.
donville.
Mr.. Reynolds gave an illustrated de-
scriptive talk on the school and its
work and outlined the latest PROPOSE
tion to aid the Vermont farmers in
getting larger returns from their farms
in this season of need for large crops.
He said that it has been carefully esti-
mated that there is urgent need of
from $500 to 5000 farm hands for
Vermont farms this summer and that
there are none in sight.
The board of education of the state
has decided to conduct three camps of
two weeks each at the school, begin
ming May 20, June and Juno II. 1t
is hoped to have so boys in each camp.
be divided into squads of 10 each and
put under the charge of an instructor
of the school. Each boy will be studied
to determine whether he is adapted to
work on a farm. Such training as can
be given in the short space OF time
will be given to each boy. The i'm.
mense school farm of 1000 acres and
all of its equipment will be available
for their training. When their train
ing is over they will be sent to careful
ly selected Vermont farms to work for
Just and fair wages or they will be sent
back home in reserve until call comes
for their help. While on the farms
they will be visited by representative
of the state whose business it will be
to look out for their welfare.
While at the camp the boys will be
housed in the modern dormitories of
the school and they will be cared for
properly in every way, including medi-
cal attendance if needed. The state
will pay every expense except the car.
fares to the camp. Room and board
will be furnished free and carfares to
the various farms will be provided
Following, as this appeal for enlist
ments did, the highly interesting talk of
an hour, it helped to drive home in
the minds of the large number of par
ents present last evening the fact that
the state, through the generosity of
Theodore n. Vail, is in possession of
a unique school, with large and thor
ough equipment, where Vermont boys
may be trainafnatq littleGexpe nns
for year in the essential principles
of farming in Vermont, and trained by
actually doing the work under compe-
tent instructors.
Miss Florence NJ. Wellman, superin.
tendent Of schools, presided and intro
duced Mr.. Reynolds after Ernest "
Barre had sung a solo, accompanied
by Frank M. Cram, and Mr. Cram had
conducted a brief "sing" of popular
songs
Mr.. Reynolds rapidly sketched the
history Of the school, from the time Mr.
Vail was attracted by the farm land
while riding on train and began the
purchase of property there until in 1910
he decided that the boys of Vermont on
farms should have an opportunity for
farm education. For FIVE years he
personally maintained the Vail school
of agriculture at an estimated expense
during that period of 100000 and then
in 1915 presented it to the state, COM
pletely stocked For two years it was
managed by board of trustees and
last year was turned over to the state
board of education.
Then began the series of pictures and
Mr.. Reynolds rapidly took his audience
through every phase of farm life and
through the we'll equipped dormitory of
the school. He explained that there
IS no book study at the school until
the pupil has encountered problem.
With his problem of farm work in mind
he then seeks book information and
with the aid of his instructor works
out his problem.
The pupils are divided into four
groups and i'll rotation spend one week
III the dairy, one on field crops, the
third at miscellaneous work and one
week in each month at work on the
farm, for which they are paid accord
ing to their individual abilities. The
farm work is taken up according to
the season with the result that at the
end of a year each pupil has done at
the proper season tho work that should
be done on the ordinary Vermont farm
at that time.
There are 40 horses on the farm, 18l
head of cattle, l25 sheep, scores of hens
and over 100 pigs. The school has its
own water supply and power plant
which furnishes electric power and ev-
cry building on each of the nine farms
comprised in the school holdings is in
first class repair.
One plan of the school is to lend
each boy who graduates flock of thor
oughbred hens. The examination to de-
terminc whether a pupil is clean milk
or is interesting and further illustrates
the practical character of the work
done there. When the boy finishes
milking the milk in his pail is stirred
up and quart bottle filed with it.,
A fine gauze strainer is then put over
the mouth of the bottle and the milk
strained through it. The strainer is
put on the blackboard with the pupil IS
name over it. If there is dirt there
he is not clean mixer There is no
question about the fairness of that eX-
animation.
Tuition is free to Vermont boys and
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