10 Sept.. 1918. | AyrlcuUure in America. 



563 



charcoal, kc, required for the birds. The first thing young Wilkm did 

 was to weed out 210 fowls of poor type. Twenty-eight were lost by 

 death and exposure to cold. From the balance he obtained the 

 following : — 



December . . . . • • . . \;6m eggs 



January 



February 



March 



April .... 



The season proved to be one of the coldest ever experienced in I^ew 

 York State, but, despite this, egg production and the results of his 

 incubation proved satisfactory. 



Here are the results of his hatching costs, which I took from his 

 record book : — 



Incubation Costs. 



98t dozen eggs at .492 dollars per dozen 

 30 gallons of kerosene at 14 cents per gallon 

 63 hours labour 

 Disinfectant 



Interest and depreciation on incubators — 

 90 dollars at 6 per cent, for three weeks . . 



Total expenses of hatch 



Number of chickens reared 

 Total cost per chick 



This boy was learning agriculture by the practice of it. His whole 

 life for the time being was centred on those fowls, and he would read 

 anything which helped to give him inforni'ation on profitable fowl rais- 

 ing. Next year, the project would be farm crops; the following year, 

 pig raising. 



In December last he owed his father 126.32 dollars (£26 6s. 4d.) 

 for the fowls. In April, his debit balance was 30.36 dollars (£6 6s. 6d.) ; 

 i.e., he had paid all the expenses of feed, labour, &e., and had reduced 

 liis indebtedness from 126 to 30 dollars in four months. He expected 

 to break even for May, and then he would own the fowls and be free 

 from debt. 



One great feature about this project work is the opportunity it gives 

 the teacher. The teacher explains to the parents that these schools of 

 agriculture are conducted on the principle that there are educational 

 opportunities at home, and that the school, in order to perform its func- 

 tions properly, must make use of those opportunities. Besides the educa- 

 tional value to the boy, the home project plan gives to the teacher a better 

 idea both of the home conditions and of the farming conditions in 

 general. It also helps him to keep his teaching Avithin the realm of possi- 

 bility. 



These high schools work in closest co-operation with the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural College and the United States Department of 

 Agriculture. All joint undertakings, e.g., promotion of boys' and girls' 

 club work, making of farm management surveys, &c., are covered by 

 written memoranda of agreement between the 'authorities concerned. 



