53 



Expenses include transfers from other departments. This shows a 

 profit of $1,228, an approximation. That actual facts were not 

 available four months after the close of the year speaks badly both for 

 the school records and the desire of the authorities to know. It should 

 be noted before accepting the statement that the farm is running at a 

 profit that no interest on investment is considered. A farmer could 

 not afford to run the farm as the school runs it. The superintendent 

 stated that the investment was not considered and could not be con- 

 sidered. He gave this illustration: 



Suppose 50 bushels of oats were raised on one acre. At 40c a 

 bushel this would bring $20.00 Interest on the investment is $17.50 

 ($350 at 5%). Taxes, if it were private land, $1.00, threshing 

 $1.50. This would take all of the $20.00 leaving nothing for labor, 

 seed, fertilizer, and other items. 



For grain raising purposes it will be granted that the farm could not 

 be made to pay, even tho the farm did raise 91 bushels of oats to the 

 acre. 



Interest on $70,000 (200 acres at $350 per acre) at 5% is 

 $3,500.00. This would wipe out over twice the profit estimated for 

 last year. 



The question which naturally follows is whether the school should 

 try to raise grain. As a matter of fact it does not, as is -shown by the 

 table of p. . 



Can and Should the Farm be made a Paying Proposition P 



The location of the farm is such that a profit can only be made by 

 very intensive farming such as truck gardening. The farm is primar- 

 ily for purposes of instruction and this should always be kept in mind. 

 The question then is can the farm be made to pay and still fulfill its 

 function as a teaching agency? 



The pupils in the agricultural department of the school are osten- 

 sibly there to learn farming. They wish to know something about the 

 various kinds of farming. Some are interested particularly in dairy- 

 ing, some in stock raising, some in grain fanning, some in fruit farm- 

 ing, etc. But from the standpoint of Wisconsin agriculture most of 

 them are not primarily interested in grain farming, and the school rec- 

 ognizes this and raises but little grain. It comes then to a question of 

 whether truck gardening, dairying, fruit growing, etc., can be so done 

 on the school farm as to teach successfully and still make money. 

 This kind of farming is that used on farms of like location and value. 

 Its ability to pay depends entirely on a correlation of the teaching 

 function with profitable farming. 



The school farm carries on each of these intensive activities to some 



