13 



day course, farmers come for a three day course. The members of the 

 faculty give lectures in the city and in social centers. They also do di- 

 rect work with the farmers which as has been stated would take the 

 time of one man two days a week. 



This is all very good but a large part of it is not really extension at 

 all. The real extension work, out around the county, does not seem to 

 require much time. This may be due to lack of aggressiveness on the 

 part of the school. It is more likely that it is due to the fact that Mil- 

 waukee County is largely industrial. This is a fact that must be faced. 

 Agricultural extension work must necessarily be limited. This does not 

 mean that the school is reaching the limit. There is no doubt much 

 more opportunity, but it will require effort to develop it. Farmers' in- 

 stitutes away from the school, a short course in special agricultural sub- 

 jects, correspondence work, club and social center work, farm and home 

 demonstrations, are all fields for development. Extension work is at 

 present carried into the city. A course of popular lectures on farm 

 topics is given in the public library. It may be asked whether it would 

 not be more productive of good to talk to seventy-five farmers on an 

 agricultural topic than to seventy-five city people. 



The school farm 



Even though Milwaukee County is not a farming county, it does have 

 dairying, fruit and berry growing, and truck gardening. It is along 

 these lines that the school must develop. So far as it emphasizes any 

 part of its work it already emphasizes dairying. The dairy work, or- 

 chard work, and garden work should all be made to pay a part of the 

 expense of the school. This should be done by a larger use of student 

 work. The teacher who cannot inspire the pupil with a sufficient liking 

 for the work to cause him to feel that it is part of his duty and education 

 to make the school farm pay has no place in a school of this kind. No 

 more has the pupil who does not take sufficient interest to want to learn 

 by actual experience how to make a farm pay, a place in the school. 

 Here lies the opportunity of the school if it has any. The school can- 

 not be conducted along the lines of most agricultural schools. It has a 

 special problem in location, in pupils, and in work to be done. It will 

 have to meet this problem in a new way. If the leadership is strong 

 enough and the vision big enough it can work out a successful institution 

 which will be an asset to the community. But it will have to work out 

 each problem that comes up. It will have no precedents to follow. 

 And the first step will be to break away from many old ideas. A course 

 coextensive with the agricultural year should be a suggestion worth trying 

 out. 



