56 Agricultural Instruction in the Public High Schools 



left as a " control." The class was told that the untreated tree 

 would probably infect the nearest trees. Orchards in the county 

 are threatened with extinction from insect pests, according to 

 the superintendent, with, as he tersely expressed it, " a cat to 

 every bird." The curculio and other injurious insects are dis- 

 cussed and identified, and talks are given on the appropriate 

 method of treatment for each. 



Demonstrations of the different methods of grafting were 

 made in school, after which each student at the proper season 

 grafted a limb on a tree at home. At the close of the school 

 year, the limb was sawed off and brought to school as part of 

 the record of the year's work. Many seeds were tested but 

 not corn, except in the general experiments, such as those show- 

 ing the effect of drainage in tin cans and others of like nature. 



One of the most important local industries is sugar beet culture 

 and the manufacture of the sugar. Notwithstanding the fact 

 that the beet is preeminently the " money-maker " of the region, 

 not moi"e than one acre in ten or twelve is devoted to its culture. 

 In line with this industry, beet-sugar analysis is a prominent 

 feature of the year's work in chemistry. The students are 

 taught the practical use of the polariscope. Several young men 

 with no other preparation than this have taken positions as 

 assistant chemists in the local plants at a better salary than is 

 usually commanded in village positions. The class as a whole, 

 so far as learned, had not visited the sugar factories, but most 

 of the students had done so individually. 



A majority of the board and many of the patrons favor the 

 further development of the agricultural line of instruction. It 

 is significant that so many adults bought copies of the school 

 text-book that the students were not able to supply themselves 

 until the bookstores had received a second and third supply. 



Sac City (lozva) High School 



The constituency and enrollment of the high school at Sac 

 City, Iowa, is somewhat larger than those already described. 

 The work in agriculture has been conducted along different lines 

 and presents many i)oints of interest. The population of the 

 town is approximately 2,800, and of the district, 3,600. The 



