kays] THE JOHN SWANEY SCHOOL 275 



etc. The different systems of farming are studied as well as crop 

 rotation, succession, cropping, fertilization, soil renewal, etc. 

 Bulletins of the University of Illinois and of the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture are a great aid in this work. 



Aside from the agriculture work above described, this high 

 school presents enough work to obtain full entrance credit at the 

 State University. 



This school has been in successful operation for two years. 

 The pupils like it and the parents believe in it. The patrons help 

 in each forward movement and the school is truly the center of 

 the community life. The larger district makes a larger communal 

 life and enables the country people to obtain for themselves bet- 

 ter literary and social advantages. The idea of this community 

 seems to be to present to their children such courses that they 

 may be educated to gain a livelihood, that they may enjoy this 

 livelihood to its fullest extent, and that they may appreciate in 

 their rural surroundings all of the beauties and blessings of nature. 

 For after all, our thoughts are the measure of things and the 

 value of the days and the sun and rain and soil lies in what we 

 think and how we think it. Hence this little school among the 

 farmers to lead the boys and girls to true manhood and true 

 womanhood. If by its influence these boys and girls become the 

 school children of nature, then these people will be satisfied that 

 they have indeed done well. 



