ture and domestic economy." The legislature adopted this suggestion at its session in 1901, and passed a law authorizing the county board of any county to appropriate money for the organization, equipment and maintenance of a county school of agriculture and domestic economy,' or ''the county boards of two or more counties may unite in establishing such a school." The character of these schools is shown in the following sections of this act: SECTION 6. In all county schools of agriculture and domestic economy organized under the provisions of this act instruction shall be given in the elements of agriculture, including instruction concerning the soil, and plant life, and the animal life of the farm. A system of farm accounts shall also be taught. Instruction shall also be given to manual training and domestic economy and such other subjects as may be prescribed. SEC. 7. Each such school shall have connected with it a tract of land suitable for purposes of experiment and demonstration, and not less than three acres in area. SEC. 8. The schools organized under the provisions of this act shall be free to the inhabitants of the county or counties contributing to their support who shall be qualified to pursue the course of study, provided they shall have at least the qualifications required for completion of the course of study for common schools. Whenever students of advanced age desire admission to the school during the winter months in sufficient number to warrant the organization of special classes for their instruction, such classes shall be organized and continued for such time as their attendance may make necessary. These schools are by the law put under the general supervision of the state superintendent of public instruction, who, with the advice of the Dean of the College of Agriculture of the State University shall prescribe the courses of study to be pursued and determine the qualifications required of teachers employed in such schools." Upon the approval of the state superintendent the state will pay a share of "not to exceed one-half the amount actually expended for instruction in such school” in any county. Two schools have already been established under this act. The Marathon County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy, located at Wausau, Wis, was opened Oct. 6, 1902. The buildings and equipment provided for this school cost $20,000. The school grounds cover six acres. The course of study for boys includes soils, plants, animal husbandry, rural architecture, blacksmithing, carpentry and mechanical drawing. The course of study for girls includes cooking, laundering, sewing, floriculture and home management and decoration. Both courses include English language and literature, United States history, civil government, and commercial arithmetic with farm accounts. Tuition is free to students living in Marathon county. The cost of board and rooms runs from $2.50 to $3.00 a week. On November 26, 1902, this school was reported to have sixty-two students-fifteen boys and forty-seven girls. The average age of the students was sixteen years. The principal of the school is R. B. Johns, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. The other school is located at Menomonie, and is known as the Dunn County School of Agriculture and Domestic Science. This school is centrally located in the county and is equipped with a fine brick main building erected by the county at a cost of $16,000 for the joint use of this school and the County Teachers' Training School, and a frame building for shopwork, which, with the grounds surrounding the school, cost $5,000. The farm work is done on the county asylum farm, one mile distant from the school. The course of study for boys includes instruction regarding soils, fertilizers, plant life, horticulture, field crops, animal husbandry, dairying, poultry, economic insects, farm accounts, blacksmithing and other metal work, carpentry and rural architecture. The course of study for girls includes work in sewing, cooking, home economy and management, drawing and designing, domestic hygiene, chemistry of foods, poultry, farm accounts and horticulture. Both courses include studies in civil government, United States history, library readings, English, and elementary science. Only two years will be required to complete the full course for either boys or girls, and shorter courses may be pursued. Tuition is free to students living in Dunn county. Others will pay $25 per year, except that the first ten students from other counties will be admitted for the first year on the payment of only $10 each. Students may find board and room in private families in Menomonie at prices ranging from $2.25 to $3.75 per week. Students can board themselves for about $2 per week. The school opened October 20, 1902, and by December forty-four students had registered (thirty-two boys and twelve girls), of an average age of 18% years. They are from the country schools with few exceptions. The principal of the school is Dr. K. C. Davis, a graduate of the Kansas Agricultural College, and recently horticulturist of the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. He pursued post-graduate studies in agriculture at Cornell University, where he received the degree of doctor of philosophy. It is interesting to observe that this county agricultural high school is joined to a school especially established for the training of teachers for the country schools. In this way many teachers will be brought into sympathy with the movement for the introduction of agriculture into the public school system and many elementary country schools will be recruiting stations for the agricultural high schools. |