July 1, 1922 
838 
tribution of tlie State aid that recognizes both of 
these important principles, ami the con unit tee be¬ 
lieves it should he the basis of distribution of aid 
to the rural schools of the State. 
SCHOOL BUILDINGS.—The school buildings 
were in many districts found in such condition that, 
the children were running the risk of impairing 
their health as a result of attending school in them. 
It was also found tli.it many of these districts could 
not erect new buildings or make the heeded repairs 
without a burden of taxation that would he beyond 
the bounds of reason. It is recommended as a means 
of helping communities meet this problem that. State 
aid he given for new buildings and major repairs on 
existing buildings. 
THE TEACHING STAFF.—The investigations 
showed that the country schools are securing only 
a relatively small proportion of the more mature 
and better trained teachers. The position of teacher 
in the one-teacher school is a difficult one, and these 
schools should have a fair proportion of the more 
capable teachers. As a means of attaining this end 
P is suggested that the State make a direct grant of 
$20 a month to teachers in onc-teacher schools who 
belong to either of the following groups: (a) Normal 
graduate or equivalent, with three years of teach¬ 
ing experience: (h) a graduate of the proposed rural 
training departments of the State ponnals. 
DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES.—In its study 
the committee found a very general demand on the 
part of rural people for more responsibility for their 
schools. With this desire to exercise initiative Ju 
the development of good schools the committee is in 
full sympathy. It also found that there are dis¬ 
tricts in the State in which the people are not now 
effectively carrying the responsibilities they have. 
In too many instances the attendance at the annual 
school meeting is very meager, the proportion of 
trustees that declare they will not serve in that 
capacity in the future is very large, and the number 
of instances in which patrons arc not supporting 
the trustees in their efforts to secure better schools 
is altogether too great. The committee believes not 
only that the school patrons should have more re¬ 
sponsibility for their schools, but that they should 
organize themselves so that they can discharge these 
duties effectively. In addition, they should willingly 
accept every opportunity to serve the educational 
interests of their children. 
THE COMMUNITY UNIT—The latter is a phase 
with which the committee can do no more than to 
urge people t<> accept willingly the responsibilities 
that good schools demand of their patrons. In case 
ol the former it has recommended a new organiza 
tion that it believes will make for a more effective 
local administration of the schools. For this pur¬ 
pose it is suggested that the community unit be used. 
In the formation of this unit the boundaries of the 
existing district will he left as they are, unless si 
change is approved by the school patrons affected 
by any proposed modifications. The boundaries of 
the community units should be determined by such 
factors as topography, roads and the trade and 
social centers that are already well established. In 
general it is believed that these units should he made 
large enough so that something in the way of high 
school facilities will he provided in each one. It is 
proposed that in each of these community units 
there should he a hoard of education consisting of 
one trustee from each common school district. In 
case there is a union free school district in a place 
of less than 4,500 population in the community unit, 
this district may have as many members on the 
board as there are representatives from (lie outlying 
districts, but no greater number. The members of 
these hoards will he elected at the district meetings 
at at present. The hoard will have the power to 
make a budget for the unit, to employ teachers and 
to carry forward such other duties as are necessary 
for the ordinary school activities. 
SUPERVISORY DISTRICTS.—There are at pres¬ 
ent 20S supervisory districts in the State. Each of 
these units has some administrative responsibilities 
for the schools that are carried out by the district 
superintendents. It is suggested that instead of 
forming the supervisory districts by the grouping of 
towns, as is the situation at present, they he formed 
by a grouping of the community units. Under the 
present organization the people are represented in 
the supervisory unit by means of two school direc¬ 
tors from each town. The influence of the school 
patrons is limited, ns the responsibility of the direc¬ 
tors ends with the choice of a superintendent. The 
committee suggests that provision should be made 
in each supervisory district for a board representa¬ 
tive of the people that will have continuous relations 
with the school. It would be the duty of this hoard 
to elect the superintendent, to pass on bis policies 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
and to carry responsibility for certain school activi¬ 
ties. This hoard wi 11 consist of one member from 
each community unit chosen by the hoard of educa¬ 
tion of that unit from its membership. It is believed 
that the formation of a hoard of education in the 
supervisory district will not. only give (lie people 
continuous representation in the activities of Ibis 
onit, hut it will also make it possible to secure a 
more complete use of local resources in administer¬ 
ing the schools. This will make possible deeentral- 
igation of responsibility for the schools and thus 
result in a greater degree of flexibility in meeting 
local needs and conditions. 
TEMPORARY ORGANIZATIONS.—Tt will be 
necessary to make provision for temporary organi¬ 
zations to form the community units, and to group 
them for supervisory purposes. It is recommended 
that in each county the hoard of supervisors choose 
five persons living under the rural education law. 
There should also he a State commission consisting 
of the Commissioner of Education and two persons 
living under the rural education law chosen by the 
Governor. It would he the duty of this body to 
formulate general regulations to assist iho county 
committees, adjust differences between these com¬ 
mittees and to hear appeals of patrons from the 
action of enunt.v committees. In addition, this State 
commission would have the responsibility for arrang¬ 
ing the community units in supervisory districts. 
It is suggested that since the district superintendents 
were elected in 1021 for a term of live years that 
208 units he formed for that period of time, but that 
the number to he maintained after 1026 should he 
determined by the State commission. 
REORGANIZATION NEEDED.—As a result of 
its study of the State Department of Education in 
its relation to the rural schools of the State, the 
committee is convinced that its present organization 
is not such as makes it possible for that organization 
to render the most effective and sympathetic service 
to the rural sections of the State in meeting their 
school problems. It is the opinion of the committee 
that a reorganization should he effected that will 
make possible the most effective leadership in this 
field. 
A WORK OF TIME.—The committee does not be¬ 
lieve these suggestions will remake the rural school 
system of New York State over night. It is the 
opinion, however, that if they are adopted by the 
people of the State, operating over a period of years, 
they will result in giving to the country child 
educational facilities that will compare favorably 
in quality with those that are available to the chil¬ 
dren in the centers of population. Throughout the 
two years of study devoted to this problem the 
guide of the committee has been the educational 
welfare of the country children of the State. If the 
suggestions are inadequate it is because of (he lim¬ 
itations of the committee, and not because of a lack 
of sincerity of purpose* It now asks the rural peo¬ 
ple of the State to consider these proposals with an 
eye single to the interests of the child, and to give 
the committee the benefit, of their constructive sug¬ 
gestions GEORGE a. WORKS, Chairman. 
How to Kill Woodchucks 
What has happened to the woodchucks? In all 
of nearly 40 years of experience we have never 
had so many questions about killing this pest as we 
are having this year. We have told all we know 
about it many times in the past, but there seems no 
way of escaping a repetition this season. One pop¬ 
ular remedy is to use bisulphide of carbon in the 
woodchuck’s hole. This thick, bad-smelling liquid 
is put down into the hole. There heavy fumes are 
generated which penetrate through the hole, and 
will kill the woodchuck unless lie can get out 
through some new opening. The bisulphide can be 
put down into the hole with a small air pump or 
smoker. Generally farmers take a round stone and 
wrap cotton or woolen rags around it. Those arc 
saturated with the liquid, and then the stone is 
poked down into the hole, with the entrance prompt¬ 
ly covered. Many woodchucks are killed ill this 
way. Others escape by burrowing into the ground, 
or getting out through one of the many openings 
which each den contains. Several people have told 
how they use their cars for killing these pests. 
They back up to the hole and connect the exhaust 
pipe with a hose. This is put down into the hole 
and the engine started. The fumes of gasoline arc 
thus pumped underground, and unless (he wood¬ 
chuck can escape in some way they will generally 
get him. Steel traps are often put in the sand at 
the mouth of the hole. The woodchuck is a stupid 
animal and quite easily caught in a trap. One of 
our boy readers devised a long wooden box trap 
which is pushed down into the hole so that the 
woodchuck must pass through it in order to get out. 
In some cases carrots, potatoes or similar vege¬ 
tables. doctored with arsenic or strychnine, are scat¬ 
tered around the hole, hut when the woodchuck is 
close to a garden or clover field he does not pay 
great attention to this bait- The most effective rem¬ 
edy we ever heard of is to appoint some member of 
the family who is a good marksman. Give him a 
good rifle and post him within reasonable shot of 
the field where the woodchucks do their damage. 
They generally come out in the early morning or in 
the late afternoon for their feeding, and a good shot 
with a rifle by one who is patient enough to wait 
for them will usually succeed in killing most of them 
in the course of a week or two. That is the best 
remedy we know of for handling this pest. 
Draft Horses in New York State 
Tart II. 
A COMPARISON OF RATIONS.—The Illinois 
Station also conducted an experiment on the rela¬ 
tive efficiency of different rations to fatten horses for 
market. The results of this work are given in Bulle¬ 
tin No. 141: “Various concentrates rations were fed 
with clover and Timothy hay to determine the rap¬ 
idity and economy of gains and their effect on com¬ 
mercial value and relative profit to the feeder, all 
things considered. The horses were stalded in a 
well-ventilated barn, tied in single stalls and kept 
there without exercise. Water was carried to them 
daily. Five mares and 18 geldings were used. Their 
age varied from four to seven years. Grain was fed 
three times daily. Salt was kept before them all 
the time. The horses which received corn. oats, 
bran, linseed oil meal and clover hay made 5S lbs. 
more gain than the lot receiving corn, bran, linseed 
oilmenl and clover hay. They also gained 92 lbs. 
more than the lot which were fed corn, oats, bran, 
linseed oilmenl and Timothy hay. Clover hay proved 
more valuable than Timothy hay in the above 
rations. The addition of bran proved advantageous 
in the concentrates mixtures.” 
The Utah Experiment Station, in Circular 48, ve- 
porls: “Alfalfa, if fed intelligently, is the best hay 
for working horses. Timothy hay is somewhat safer 
for n careless feeder, though it has a lower nutritive 
value. When feeding Alfalfa hay it is necessary as 
a safeguard to the health of the horses to limit the 
amount fed. Most of the hay should he fed at night 
and most of the grain at the noon feeding. Give a 
bran mash the night before holidays and cut down 
the feed when the horses are at rest. Regularity :s 
important to success. Sudden changes in ration 
should he avoided.” 
Comparison with tractor.— in view of 
the fact that some horsemen fear the tractor may 
displace the farm horse and limit the demand for 
good horses, the following quotation, taken from 
Illinois Bulletin 281. is of interest: 
"Judging from the experience of farmers as based 
on t lit- costs of using both horses and tractors, as 
well as from all other data available, we may con¬ 
clude that on the average corn belt farms growing 
less than 240 acres of crop, the horse costs cannot he 
reduced enough to offset the cost of operating a trac¬ 
tor. This does not mean, however, that every corn 
belt farm with more than 240 acres should use a 
tractor, nor that smaller farms will always find a 
tractor unprofitable, for other factors than area must 
necessarily he taken into consideration, but 240 acres 
is the host approximate expression of size.” 
“Farmers want to know whether horse use or 
tractor use pays best,” said Prof. O, G. Lloyd. Chief 
of Farm Management Department. Purdue Agricul¬ 
tural Experiment Station, in addressing the Indiana 
Draft llorse Breeders’ Association at the 1022 meet¬ 
ing. "It is not merely a question of comparative 
costs of doing any particular piece of work: it is a 
question of the profits aeerainy at the end of each 
year. The difficulty is in getting a fair comparison 
between farms using tractors and farms using horses 
exclusively. The operators in each group must have 
equal ability and equal opportunity to farm effi¬ 
ciently. or the profit or loss due to the tractor cannot 
be measured. It will require at least five years’ 
study to determine if the conditions are comparable, 
and to determine if the results are significant, 
“Our 1019 studies in Indiana on 74 farms, half of 
which made use of tractors, the others using horses 
only, disclosed that farms depending exclusively on 
horses for farm motive power made more than $900 
per farm more than those uriilch used tractors. In 
1920 the difference was more than $800, and was 
again in favor of farms using horses exclusively. 
The difference in profits cannot he attributed as a 
direct cost of tractor labor above horse labor. Each 
