BALDWIN] POULTRY RAISIXG AS A SCHOOL OCCUPAILOX 17 



1. It must fit into the needs of the community of which the 

 school is a part so that children and parents may see that it is of 

 practical value. 



2. It must give opportunities for the cliild to participate in 

 the work and in the rewards of his work. 



3. It must furnish opportunities for typical, basal experiences 

 and so to build up important apperceiving concept groups. 



4. Things must be seen by the children in their natural 

 relations, and ministering to the life of man. 



5. It must furnish a basis for natural correlation with the 

 regular subjects. 



In a section like Cape Cod, already known in Boston and New 

 York markets for its fine Cape Cod eggs, and in a school like our 

 Training School nearly every child of which may have a few 

 hens at home, this poultry industry seems to meet all of the fore- 

 going requirements. I have felt for some time that poultry 

 raising, properly conducted might furnish a school activity 

 equal in value to the school-garden. We have, therefore, 

 started the experiment to see how much of this work may be 

 safely recommended to the regular public school. 



We have a small plant fairly well established and incidentally 

 have done a little educational w^ork of the right sort. Thus far 

 this has been d( ne almost entirely in connection with the Normal 

 School. We hope gradually to find points of connection with 

 the Training School. 



In the winter of 1907 a Cyphers incubator was purchased and I 

 began to experiment with it. The incubator was placed in my 

 library with an experimental batch of eggs. My two little boys, 

 aged respectively 9 and 10 years, watched and assisted in the 

 turning of the eggs and in the care of the incubator. They heard 

 the first faint peeps from the imprisoned chicks and watched 

 with the greatest enthusiasm to see the little fellows struggle out 

 of their enclosing shells. After all were hatched these chicks 

 were transferred to a Cyphers brooder which was placed on our 

 lawn. The children considered it a great honor to be allowed 

 to help care for them. 



The incubator was now transferred to a small house which had 

 been used tor the school-garden tools and a part of wdiich had 

 been partitioned off by one of our students to serve as an incuba- 

 tor house. This house was built into a sandy hillside and so it 



