CEEDIT FOR HOME PEACTICE IN AGEICULTURE. 19 



of the interlocking of two projects. Furthermore, thoy will illustrate 

 more fully the school lessons in agriculture. 



Small-fruit projects could rarely be considered complete in one 

 season and the practice is quite different the second season. In some 

 locahties it might be wise to take up such a project with a two years' 

 plan mapped out. Such a fruit garden would be from one-fourth to 

 one-tenth acre, depending on the crop. (See Tables 10 and 18.) 



PROJECTS WITH ANIMALS. 



Nearly all the statistics available concerning labor in the care of 

 animals refer to conditions quite unlike those existing in most project 

 work. These figures have some value, however, as a starting point. 



Poultry. — The table of labor requirements on page 21 gives 226.6 

 man-hours and 19 horse-hours required for 100 hens in New York or 

 128.5 man-hours and 16 horse-hours on an average of all studies. It 

 may be evident that this ratio of 1.28 hours labor per hen would not 

 hold for small flocks. It is more probable that with ordinary facili- 

 ties it might take the boy as many hours to care for a flock of a dozen 

 or 25 hens as the poultry man needs for 100. 



A boy reported on his poultry project with 12 hens as taking one- 

 fourth hour of work each day and three-fourths hour once each week 

 for mixing feed, cleaning, and other extra work. This would amount 

 to 130 boy-hours per year, not allowing for building, repairs, incuba- 

 tion, or care of chicks. 



The work done by the pupil in caring for a small flock of poultry 

 may bring educational returns commensurate with time spent up to 

 a certain degree. Time spent in weighing feed, trap nesting, and 

 making detailed records is worthy of credit and until enough local 

 records have been compiled it mav be wise to depend on the boy's 

 corrected time sheet. Inspection of his work should help to make 

 this record dependable. He should be advised not to charge the time 

 spent in petting the animals or other ways which are not to be counted 

 as productive labor. 



Other animals. — Projects with other animals will vary much. The 

 work which is repeated daily, like all farm chores, is educational for a 

 while or until proficiency is attained. Ability to continue at the same 

 task in a monotonous way until an end has been gained is a desirable 

 farm habit. On the other hand, it is better to introduce feeding 

 records, production tests, and other problems and to have the projects 

 so laid out as to include a variety of experiences. Some of the pro- 

 cesses may be standardized. As an example, let a boy feed, milk, and 

 otherwise care for two cows for the winter season. Have him weigh 

 the milk each day and twice each month test the milk for butter fat. 



In a New Hampshire study it was found that a man would average 

 to milk properly about seven cows in an hour, weighing and recording 



