Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-29

work horse type. The 35 head Of swine
are Of the Ohio Improved Chester breed.
The poultry consists of II hens in five ,
foclss and the breeds are White Leg |
horns Barred Plymouth Rocks, Buff |
Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds and |
White Wyandottes. All the livestock is
in good condition and shows the result
of careful care and attention.
, THE CURRICULUM
The curriculum at the Vermont
State Agricultural School at Randolph
Center covers two school years of
nine months each. There is a special
course of one year maintained for
graduates of approved high schools.
Under normal conditions the school
year opens in the middle of Septem-
Der and closes on the list of June. the
course Is divided so that about one
half of the students time shall be de-
voted to the practical work and prob
lens of farming and the other half to
the study of theoretical courses close
ly applied to these problems. such as
physics, chemistry. biology. rural So
GEOLOGY and ethics. English, farm
arithmetic and short course in his
tory are also taught
Your committee does not wish to
have it understood that the school at
Randolph Is in any sense theoreti-
cal school of agriculture, on the con-
trary, 1t is emphatically practical
school and the practical and theoret-
ical courses are used to supplement
each other.
TUITION
Vermont boys attending this school
are not charged any tuition. Boys
from outside the state are cnargsu .
tuition of $40 year. All boys are
expected to furnish their own towels,
bed linen, blankets, etc. and to pay
for laundering the same and are
charged $500 per week for board and
lodging.
Their expenses for textbooks and
reference books run from $50 to $50
a year and every boy is expected to
remain at the Randolph school for the
nine consecutive months that make up
the school year. The school encour-
ages every boy to take up some farm
project during the summer vacation,
and, If possible, some member of the
faculty visits his farm during the va
cation for the purpose of inspecting
and supervising his work.
Opportunities are given to the stu
dents to do outside work for compen-
sation in the evenings and on Satur-
days, while in attendance at the
school, There is also an opportunity
for boy to earn something by work.
ing In the dormtory.
Out of last years graduating class
of 90 students at least 90 per cent. re-
turned to work upon Vermont farms.
SUMMARY
Your committee has gone into consid-
cradle detail in inspecting and describing
the buildings, stock and methods of in
struction at the Theodore n. Vail Agri-
cultural School and Farms and the Ner-
mont State Agricultural school at Ran
| dolph Center. We have done this in or
| der to place before your Exceliency and
the members of the joint committee, the
conditions as we have found them at these
schools. While visiting the schools your
committee had ample opportunity to OBJ
serve the students at their work In the
barns, shops and classrooms. We con-
versed freely with the students of both
institutions as we'll as with the instructors
and we cannot speak too highly of the en-
thusiastic feeling of cooperation that ex-
lists between the members of the faculty
and the. student body at both institutions
and their loyalty toward their respective
schools.
Some criticism has been made that the
Theodore N. Vail Agricultural School and
Farms and the Vermont State School of
Agriculture are maintaining parallel
courses and for that reason one or the
other should be discontinued. Your COM
mittee after examining into the educa-
tional methods of both institutions found
that certain important differences exist
|
Vail Agricultural School at Lyndonville
and the State School of Agriculture at
Randolph Center. Some of these differ
ences are due to the conditions surround
ing the two schools. Others represent
differences in policy. The deed Of gift of
the Theodore n. Vail Agricultural school
definitely fixes the entrance requirements
at that institution. The important ques-
ton concerning the boys entrance at this
school Is not what education he possesses
but what opportunity there is for the
school to be of service to him. There are,
therefore, no limitations as regards age
or experience.
At Randolph. on the other hand. it is
desirable to make rather definite entrance
requirements and to insist upon at least
the equivalent of grammar school grad
uation as minimum entrance require
ment. 1t has always been customary fol
this school to receive a considerable num-
Der of graduates from approved high
schools The work must, therefore be
suited to the ability of these more adj
vanced students.
A second difference is indicated in thu
possibility of self-support at these
schools. At the Theodore N Vail schoo
it is possible for any Vermont boy tc
earn all of his expenses. For this pur
pose the school is organized in the sam,
manner as the part-time basis in the in
dustries. One week in four the boy works
flor wages on the farm and in addition
has the opportunity to work for wages
at times when he is not receiving in
struction.
At the State School of Agriculture a
Randolph, on the other hand. the Stat
Board Of Education cannot promise t
prospective students the opportunity t.
earn any large part of their expenses
This is due to the size of the farm ant
the lack of labor needs. Even though
boys are able to secure work on ad1acen
farms there is no advantage that come
from such service other than the finan
cial one because the boys cannot b.
under direct supervision.
A third difference is found in the typ
of instruction. Both schools aim a
preparation for Vermont farming. Tn
course of study at the State School o
Agriculture at Randolph Center require
at least one-half of the boys time 70
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