24 



part of the equipment would tend to show that it was in large part un- 

 necessary. 



A number of questions arise from these facts: 



1 . In order to teach agriculture to boys of from thirteen years of age 

 up, a large proportion of whom are city boys, is it necessary to have the 

 equipment of the most specialized farm in each department? 



2. Will the training thus given teach such boys the methods of prac- 

 tical farming, or will it tend to make them helpless on a farm without 

 much high-priced, ready-made equipment at hand? 



3. Will such completeness not prevent the inculcation of habits of 

 self-reliance, invention, and ingenuity? 



4. Is a herd of 38 necessary for a school enrolling 1 2 1 boys in the 

 department of agriculture, only a small proportion of whom take dairy- 

 ing at any one time? 



As in the case of buildings this reflects on past methods. With the 

 extensive equipment on hand nothing additional need be purchased for 

 some time to come even with a large increase in the number of students. 

 The need of careful investigation of all requests for large items of equip- 

 ment is apparent, and in the future such requests should be allowed only 

 after a complete demonstration of actual necessity. The new board of 

 administration is employed for full time. Devoting their full time it 

 should be possible, and it should be a rigidly enforced duty, for them to 

 see that every financial request they make of the county board of super- 

 visors represents a thoroughly investigated and demonstrated need. 



Summary 



The total financial investment represented by the school is 



Equipment and supplies $39,986.84 



Buildings 233, 877.00 



Land . 72, 100.00 



$345,963.84 



On the basis of the 1 9 1 4- 1 5 enrollment of 1 9 1 pupils this is $ 1 ,8 1 1 . 33 

 per pupil. Using the average daily attendance which represents more 

 nearly the actual attendance at the school, it is $2,931.05. (For 

 more detailed cost data, see Chap. XIII.) 



