376 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



out the year. One group took a short course of insti-uction in domes- 

 tic science, each member of the class working with the individual 

 equij)ment placed at her disposal, which was the same equipment 

 used by the students in the high school. Another group took car- 

 pentry work in the manual training room and was taught to use tlie 

 plane, hammer, and other ordinary carpenters' tools in making 

 shelves, towel rollers, and other common articles about the house and 

 yard. The third group, known as the class in home crafts, was taught 

 chair caning, rug weaving, Indian basketry, stenciling, etc., and the 

 fourth took up a study of modern literature under the direction of 

 the principal of the school. The meetings had an average attendance 

 of 85 throughout the year and were successful. 



A literary society was organized for the young people in the 

 neighborhood who were not in school. The society met once in two 

 weeks, had a membership of about 100 persons, and engaged in 

 spelling bees, debates, and other literary exercises which enlivened 

 the long winter evenings. 



During the summer the high-school boys were required to conduct 

 exj^eriments at their homes under the direction of the principal, who 

 kept in close touch with the work by visiting the students several 

 times during the summer vacation. The experiments were scat- 

 tered over a territory 25 miles long by 5 miles broad, and thus at- 

 tracted much attention among the neighbors, and were of value as a 

 demonstration of new methods of farm practice. The experiments 

 were largely selected by the students under the suggestion of the prin- 

 cipal and consisted of variety tests of corn from seed furnished by 

 the school, tests of herds of dairy cows, including the keeping of 

 milk records and the making of frequent Babcock tests of the butter- 

 fat content, alfalfa growing, variety tests of cowpeas, variety tests 

 of popcorn, and other similar experiments of simple nature which 

 were attractive to the students and served to arouse interest in agri- 

 cultural problems. 



The school also tested seeds and milk for farmers. During the 

 spring months many samples of clover seed were submitted for a 

 determination of purity and vitality, and throughout the year milk 

 and cream were tested. Many of the farmers of the neighborhood are 

 engaged in dairying and sell their milk by the butter- fat test. These 

 were glad to have an occasional authoritative test from a disinterested 

 source to compare with tests made by the buyer. 



The principal writes that the extension work of the school did not 

 prove unusually difficult, nor did it disclose obstacles which would 

 make it prohibitive for any school. On the other hand, it made many 

 things easier for a new school just getting established in a rural 

 community in that it secured the good will and hearty support of aD 

 its rural patrons. 



