SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 



By JOHN K. COX, Director 

 lAA Rural School Rolotleni 



A LARGE per cent of high school pupils who 

 enter the SHh grade drop out before gradua- 

 tion. Of the graduates, about 80 per cent 

 do not plan to go to college. They need vo- 

 ci^tional courses in general shop, manual train- 

 ing or industrial arts, vocational agriculture 

 and home economics to better fit them for liv- 

 ing and working in the community of their 

 choice. 



Farming is becoming more and more scien- 

 tific and the farm boy who plans to remain on 

 the farm needs to study soil chemistry, seeds, 

 proper livestock care and feeding, machinery 

 repair and many other subjects in a good high 

 school agriculture course. 



Many high school students, including 50 

 per cent of our farm boys, are attracted to 

 city areas because of a lack of opportunity at 

 home. They will compete there with former 

 high school pupils who have had training in 

 vocational subjects. Many of the pupils will 

 have had vocational aptitude tests and voca- 

 tional counseling in high school to better fit 

 them for their life's work. 



If high schools do not properly prepare boys 

 and girls for actual living, they have little 

 excuse for existing. The neighborhood that 

 puts basketball, local jealousies of other towns 

 and trade above consideration of their chil- 

 dren's future success may well expect to have 



their graduates at the head of the bread line 

 if and when the depression forces employers 

 to lay off the unskilled and less productive 

 help. 



A high school whose only job is to train 

 for college can be a very good high school 

 even though small. But experience, and par- 

 ticularly the last war, shows that the high 

 school's responsibility goes far beyond what 

 was considered to be the main function of the 

 high school when most of them were estab- 

 lished. An attempt to provide the needed 

 courses in a small high school results in very 

 small classes, often times inadequate equip- 

 ment, second rate teachers, and exceptionally 

 high per capita cost. 



The per capita cost in many small central 

 and northern Illinois high schools is running 

 from $350 to $750 per pupil. Some are cost- 

 ing five to seven times per high school pupil 

 what the grade schools in the same area are 

 costing. This is proof enough of a seriously 

 unbalanced school system wherein the grade 

 school is considered the step-child. This situa- 

 tion not only exists but is prevalent in many 

 small high school areas where the dual system 

 of school administration enables the high 

 school to squander tax monies needed by the 

 grade school. 



Fly Control Program 

 Increased Dairy 

 Production 10 Per Cent 



THE Illinois fly-control program of 

 1948 increased dairy production 10 

 per cent, according to estimates by Dr. 

 Harlow B. Mills, chief of the Illinois 

 Natura History Survey. The Illinois 

 Agricultural Association was one of the 

 sponsors of the fly-control program. 



Experiments by entomologists indicate 

 that fly control on beef cattle resulted in 

 at least a 10 pound per steer gain. Illi- 

 nois dairy cows in 1948 gave 90,000,000 

 more pounds of milk and beef cattle put 

 on 12,700,000 more pounds of meat as 

 a result of fly<ontrol. 



Dr. Mills estimates that a gross gain 

 from milk of $2,700,000 was made at a 

 cost of $270,000; and a gross gain from 

 beef of $3,187,000 at a cost of $956,250. 



For maximum production and as a precau- 

 tion against prussic acid poisoning, Sudan 

 grass should not be grazed until it is 18 to 

 24 inches high. 



ELIMINATE CHANCES 

 OF BREAKDOWNS 



Break-downs are tragic in the spring work 

 season. Don't lose precioiis working days with 

 a balky engine. Heavy spring work brings to 

 light all the troubles which have developed 

 during the winter. Save your time, temper, 

 and crops by getting "tuned up" before spring 

 work starts. 



SURE-FIRE PERFORMANCE 



A strong, hot spark means peateif 



Rower and increased fuel efficiency: 

 Tew Edison Spark Plugs are cheap 

 insurance for "power when you need 

 it." Don't take a chance on worn out 

 plugs. Replace with the new Edisons 

 with the aliuninum oxide insulators and 

 the spun-on gaskets. 

 KEEP AN EXTRA 

 SET ON HAND! 



KEEP YOUR OIL CLEAN 



Dirty oil means trouble. Keep your oil 

 clean with dependable, economical, non- 

 channeling Blue Seal Oil Filter Cart- 

 ridges. Replace cartridges regularly to 

 maintain filtering efliciency. A dirty filter 

 has finished its job — replace it with a new 

 one! BETTER BUY A CASE! 



THESE PRODUCTS ARE DISTRIBUTED BY 



FARM BUREAU TYPE COOPERATIVES 



AFFI LIATED WITH 



ILLINOIS FARM SUPPLY CO., CHICAGO 



APRIL 1949 



