The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-20
STATE AGRlCUlT URAl
SCHOOLS COMMENDED
Favorable Report by the lnvcsti-
eating Committee Appointed
by the Vermont Legislature
Schools Worthy of Continued
Interest and Patronage.

| uance of one or both of the state ag
ricultural schools having been mace
an issue, a special joint committee
| was appointed to visit the schools
investigate and report. It's finding!
were distinctly favorable to thu
schools. The legislature accepted
the report and evidenced it's approva
and endorsement by renewing the
appropriations in the same amount:
and under the same conditions as fol
the previous two years.
So clearly were the advantages pos
sessed by these schools for impartins
agricultural education to the youtt
of Vermont set forth in this report
that it deserves a wide reading, es-
pecially by parents interested in such
department of training.
The special committee consisted Of
sub committees representing the com
mittees on education and educational
institutions of the Senate and House
to which was joined the president OF
the legislative Farmers Club. 1t Wis
tied the Vail school at Lyndonville
March 7, and the Vermont State Ag
ricultural school at Randolph, March
10. The committee also secured such
information as it deemed necessary
from other sources. From its report
made to the governor and to the
members of the committees, represent
ed is taken the following summary
The Theodore NJ. Vail Agricultural
School and Farms at Lyndonvile.
This school with outlying farms
has an acreage of approximately 1906
acres. About 700 acres are used for
tillage. The balance of the property
is used for pasture and woodland, in
Guiding from 80 to 80 acres of pine
forestry plantation. On the property
there are 10000 sugar naples suit
able for tapping, 5000 of which were
tapped last year. The balance were
not tapped owing to lack of equip
ment. The State maintains the
school on an annual appropriation of
$22,500 and the farm is better than
self-supporting.
Buildings and Equipment
The buildings on Speedwell farm
which is the farm upon which the
school is located, are of modern CON
struction and equipped with strictly
up-to-date farm appliances. These
buildings are in remarkably good
state of repair and have the appear
ance of being well cared for. The
buildings on the outlying farms are
the ordinary type of Vermont farm
buildings and so far as your com
mittee was able to judge from it's in
spection, are in excellent condition
and maintained in good state Of
repair. They are not as precautions
as the buildings on Speedwell farm,
but will compare very favorably with
the farm buildings found on most of
our up-to-date Vermont farms.
Water System.
Speedwell farm and the adjacent
buildings and those other buildings
not maintaining their own water sys-
TEN are supplied with water from
Chandler pond, which is located in
the town of Wheelock and is included
in the deed of gift from Theodore N.
Vail and wife to the State The
water pressure is so arranged as to
supply an excellent fire protection
for the farm buildings and the dor
mitory at Speedwell farm. There is
ample hose connection and the stu
dents and farm laborers are drilled
in the use of the hose cart in case of
a fire emergency.
Electric Light Plant.
The electric light plant, which is
located on the Cahoon falls, Passump-
sic river, is thoroughly equipped and
well maintained. This electric light
plant supplies electricity for illu
mnating and power purposes to
Speedwell farm, the Vail residence
and Lyndon Institute and in the judg-
ment of your committee is a yalua-
BILE water right for the State to re-
tain.
Live Stock and Farm Equipment.
Your committee found the live
stock in excellent condition Of the
222 cattle, there are 129 mich cows
of excellent dairy type, l registered
Brown Swiss and / registered Guern-
sey bull. The young stock are very
promising. The dairy is complete in
every detail. About one COW in ten
in the herd is thoroughbred and the
balance represents very high class
stock. The 81 horses include one
thoroughbred Morgan stallion and
two Percheron stations. used for
CCuihN Pui pooCos IL WOIh liOioCS vi
the best farm type, thoroughbred
Percheron mares, / registered Shire
mare. 8 colts and 2 driving horses.
The SIS swine are mostly Chester
White and the ZIG sheep are large
and well selected and are headed by
one registered Shropshire and one
registered Oxford ram. The
poultry are White Leghorns, Barred
Plymouth Rocks and White Wyan
dottes. The White Leghorns. which
predominant in numbers, are from
the best strain.
Farm Machinery and Tools.
There is complete list of agricul-
tslral machinery and tools including a
Fordson tractor, all in excellent con-
dition. The repairs and painting
necessary upon this equipment are
done almost entirely by students of
the school.
The Dormitory.
The dormtory was formerly farm
house and has been enlarged and al
tered so as to make it suitable for
dormjtory purposes. At present it
will accommodate about so boys. The
toilet and bathing facilities are of
the best. The rooms are simply fur
nished, but well kept. The Kitchen
is equipped with cold. storage plant
and the dining hall and sitting rooms
are attractive rooms. The food fur
pished the pupils is mostly supplied
from Speedwell farm and is of ex-
ceedingly good quality.
The Administration Building.
Tn, fhn ot,r,, of no