u The Real School Problem” 
The greatest educational question before the people 
. ? tate now is n °t the “rural school problem ” 
Aside from the celebrated “Committee of Twenty-one ” 
the rural schools are not raising their voices in com¬ 
plaint. But eight or more of our large cities, repre¬ 
senting more than four-fifths of the people of the State, 
<ue complaining loudly of overcrowded school rooms, 
lack of finances, excessive expenditures, lack of effi¬ 
cient administration, and face conditions where hun¬ 
dreds of thousands of pupils cannot be provided with 
sittings. 
The rea! question, then, is the “city school problem.” 
W hy do not our educational highbrows turn their at¬ 
tention to this problem? The “little red sehoolhouse”— 
the one-room school—has turned out some of the best 
men in State and nation. It will continue to do so, if 
let alone. Charles r. skinner. 
'T'H.E hearing, at Albany on the school bill on 
1 March 19 will probably settle the matter for 
this year. Of course this is written before that 
date. We agree with Mr. Skinner that the city 
school problem is very much more serious than what 
we face in the rural districts. If the farmers were 
to appoint a committee of 21 or 42 to investigate 
the city school problem and report with a bill de¬ 
signed to upset all city methods there would be a 
gieat protest. It would be called an attempt to 
usurp “home rule,” and justly so. Yet this Winter 
we have had the astounding spectacle of these very 
city home rule advocates attempting to crowd an 
offensive measure upon country people. We think 
(he most hopeful indication just now is the forma- 
lion of the Rural School Improvement Society. 
1 hat is an organization of the farmers, by the' farm¬ 
ers and for the farmers. It will take hold of the 
pioblem practically and sensibly, and develop a 
spirit of confidence in the rural school without which 
any legislation would fail. . 
'Ibe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
gest questions coming up to dairymen as a result of 
efforts to readjust conditions. It will depend largely 
on the condition of the sod. If there is a good stand 
of grass, with roots in good shape, top-dressing with 
chemicals will keep the meadow going profitably for 
several years. If the grass is about run out and the 
land has turned sour, the chief crop will be weeds, 
and it would not pay to use expensive chemicals on 
such a meadow. A combination of nitrate of soda, 
acid phosphate and muriate of potash will make 
grass grow on any field if the grass is there and the 
roots are in fair shape. It is, therefore, largely a 
question of the meadow. Thousands of farmers all 
over the East are raising hay successfully by using 
chemicals alone. Many of them are selling this hay 
year after year, but by using enough of the chemicals 
they keep up both the yield of grass and the soil. 
The idea, however, of using expensive fertilizer on 
poor sod, full of weeds, would be worse than trying 
to put new wine into old bottles. 
Farmers and Chicken Thieves 
The following is an experience which I have just had, 
which might be of interest to your readers, and I think 
proves that the State police are a valuable protection to 
the people who live in the rural districts. About 3 o’clock 
on the morning of March 5 State Troopers Yates and 
A ellis, from the Troy Barracks, patrolling over the 
highways, noticed a car near my home with the engine 
running, and no one in the car. They promptly investi¬ 
gated, and saw two men jump in the car with two bags 
of plunder and drive away immediately under high 
speed. The State troopers shot at them, but the thieves 
(lid not stop. The motorcycle which the troopers were 
riding was partly disabled because of running through 
water in a depression in the highway, and the troopers 
gave chase for 11 miles before they were able to over- 
take the car, and they found therein 43 Rhode Island 
Red hens and two roosters, which had been taken from 
my henhouse. 
The thieves were committed to the Hudson jail on a 
charge of second degree grand larceny, to await action 
before the grand jury. Certainly this is the kind of 
work the farmers of the State will appreciate, and I 
hope our county authorities will be as prompt in apply¬ 
ing punishment as the State police were in catching 
the thieves. d. b. van buren. 
Columbia Co., N. Y. 
A Fruit Farmer’s Figures 
Today it took the proceeds of three barrels of York 
Imperial apples—A grade, 2%-in. minimum size, double- 
faced and ring-tailed—to pay for four veal chops for 
noon luncheon. And I owe rhe butcher 2c at that! 
This is the how: I consigned 398 barrels, and my 
net returns were 25c per barrel. This does not include 
nij overhead, pruning, fruit removal, five times spray¬ 
ing, working the orchards weekly for 10 weeks, tliin- 
ning. picking, drawing, salary for myself, interest, etc. 
Other varieties have returned from $1 to $1.40. As 
near as I can figure, it costs me better than $2 a barrel 
to grow tree-run apples. Ciders sold for 05c per 100 
this Fall. 
Here’s another : My farm consists of 132 acres, 126 
tillable 45 acres bearing fruit. My school tax was $4 
per week; town tax. $3.25. A friend of mine, four 
miles distant, with 220 acres of apples alone, and many 
acres of other kinds of fruits, pays less school tax than 
I do. I am contributing to a consolidated school, where 
domestic science, agriculture and other branches are be- 
mg taught. The agricultural school has seven scholars. 
This is the fourth year in succession where proceeds 
ef this farm have sold for less than the average cost of 
production. Two and three years ago I refused offers of 
$35,000 cash for the place. Have been compelled to 
mortgage to carry on operations. How long can I last? 
However, I’m inclosing a dollar bill for my renewal 
to the one good paper in its field. t. b 
Western New York. 
517 
have been able to go beyond the ordinary eighth grade 
work and add the first two years of high school work, 
thus putting off for two years the necessity of sending 
those boys and girls to the town schools to get the 
high school work. 
Now, Mr. Hope Farm Man, please don’t fight 
school consolidation. Call it some other name if you 
want to, but do all you can to further co-operation 
among the country district schools. Your friends 
would not like to class you with the editor of another 
paper who fought free delivery of mail because he 
said it would result in the closing of a large number 
ot little country postoffices. This same editor a few 
years later recommended the passing of laws in all the 
States to keep automobiles off the roads because they 
were frightening the horses. We all smile at such 
ideas now, just as those who are enjoying the benefits 
of the consolidated schools smile at the funny argu¬ 
ments of some of the folks down East who attempt to 
show what they imagine would be the dire results of 
consolidation. j # dhew. 
TD A T --Y. Just wait and see whether we favor 
iA. school improvement or not. The proposed 
Downing bill does not present the only way. There 
are others, and they will be presented in good time. 
Mr. Drew should not join the ranks of those who 
can see only one way of doing things. Again, the 
connti y agricultural schools are not at all like the 
town high schools, which we have pictured, nor is 
Minnesota like New York either in topography or 
type of people. We still believe that the district 
school can be made the better place for educating 
country children. The improvement must be worked 
out by the people themselves. 
“Your Boy and a Training Camp” 
Should Boys Be Sent To College? 
Will you let me know what to do to help stop this 
chicken stealing? They steal chickens right along. We 
live on the Nassau and Pittsfield State road, and they 
come in our chicken-house and take our chickens and 
go on, and everyone says, “What can we do?” I say 
we must do something. I am a woman, and a small 
one at that. I sow, I mow and I reap. A lazy, good- 
for-nothing comes and takes our chickens. Must I go 
on and raise more for them, without protection? They 
protect automobiles from thieves. Could chickens be 
protected? Why must we pay taxes? We called the 
troopers; they said, “Shoot to kill.” Why do we have 
a sheriff, a Governor? I asked the sheriff at Nassau 
what can be done. He said: “I have nothing to do with 
this,” and hung up the receiver. Would you advise me 
to ask the Governor? They can do something if they 
try. I know we are doing all we can. We must do 
something to protect our poultry. anna tkemont, 
Rensselaer Co., N. Y. 
R N.-Y.—Here we have another story. In the 
• case of Mr. Van Buren the troopers happened 
to catch the rascals right in the act. Of course they 
cannot be on hand all the time, and neither the Gov¬ 
ernor nor the sheriff can provide a guard for every 
home. By using swift cars these thieves can watch 
their chance, make a strike while the house is un¬ 
protected, and get away with the plunder, and before 
the officers could do anything the birds would be go¬ 
ing the usual way of fried chicken or chicken pie. 
The best thing we can suggest is to organize the local 
farmers into a protective association, pledged to take 
turns watching for these thieves and prepared to 
turn out at any warning. Also get some big and sav¬ 
age dog and turn him loose in the chicken yard at 
night. The sheriff might help if he wanted to! 
Using Chemicals for Grass 
W E find some elderly farmers who are selling 
their cows and preparing to do as little hard 
work as possible. They have a good deal of meadow 
land seeded down, and think they can handle and sell 
the hay to better advantage than feeding it out on 
the farm. They want to know if they can keep up 
the yield by using chemicals. This is one of the big- 
The Hope Farm man says he expects to be jumped 
on by the educators for what he says on page 226 
about college education. I want to go on record as 
saying that he is right; “dead right” as the boys say, 
when he says that a great many boys ought never to 
be sent to college. Before going further let me ex¬ 
plain why I think I have a right to claim some knowl¬ 
edge of the subject under consideration. I spent the 
first 30 years of my life on the farm. I have attended 
district school, village school, city school and normal 
school. I finished the normal course and taught dis¬ 
trict school the kind with the square box stove in the 
middle of the room, where the teacher was his own 
janitor; afterward taught and was principal of schools 
m a town. Went to college nearly two years, when 
w mV 1 me back t0 th * fai ' ,n - 1 been for .he 
d W “ h “ St ”' e 
I am about ready to say that a boy ought never to 
be sent to college. When a boy becomes old enough to 
know what he wants, I mean when he reaches the point 
where he realizes that perhaps his parents do know 
something after all, and when he spends less than half 
his time m trying to make his hair lie back just ex¬ 
act y like the other boys’ hair, if he shows evidence of 
really wanting to learn, and a willingness to work for 
what he wants, then it is all right to give him encour¬ 
agement and help. But sending an average high school 
graduate to the average college where he learns that 
the average college student is a roughneck whose high- 
ibnnt^ - tl01 V iS + • “® ak S the team -” an ‘l whose last 
thought is about his studies, is a -doubtful experiment 
to say the least. 
4 lie Hope 1-arm man says we must improve the 
country schools. He says he has known of numberless 
tragedies where country boys and girls have been 
stolen away from their parents by town high schools 
and colleges. Right here is where the right kind of 
consolidation of schools. comes in. The Hope Farm 
man and many others who have expressed their views 
in I he B. N.-Y. seem to have the idea that the con¬ 
solidated school is always in town. Let them come 
out to Minnesota and we can show them the right 
kind ot schools. We have them here, and they grow 
right out in the open country. They are simply another 
form ot co-operation which works to the good of all 
concerned. Instead of trying to churn the cream in 
every farmhouse, and thus turning out as many kinds 
ot butter as there were farmers, and trading it at the 
crossroads store for anything the storekeeper was will¬ 
ing to give, the dairymen of Minnesota something over 
o() years ago began the co-operative creamery experi¬ 
ment, with the result that Minnesota creamery butter 
tops the market. In.the same way, many small country 
districts, instead of trying to support several small 
schools, have combined their efforts and built a good 
building where all the boys and girls can be gathered 
together where they can be taught by good teachers 
and where the course of study can be suited to the 
needs of the country children. Some of these schools 
My attention has been called to a letter which ap¬ 
peared on page 431, headed. “Your Boy and a Training 
bather.” In that letter the question is 
asked. Is there any good to be expected from a month’s 
stay at one ot these camps?” 
Fhe writer of the letter undoubtedly refers to the 
citizens military training camps held each Summer un- 
c or the direction of the War Department in accordance 
with the provisions of the National Defense law enacted 
by Congress in 1920 As Civilian Aide to the Secretary 
of War for the State of New York, the duties of my 
position having to do specifically with the voluntary 
military training of citizens, the question put by “Fath¬ 
er may perhaps well be answered by me, and I trust 
that you will publish this letter for the better informa¬ 
tion ot the great parliament of your readers 
Allow me first to quote from an article'written by 
Gen. John L. Hines, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, 
stating the fundamental idea of the War Department in 
the conduct of these camps: “These camps are called 
military training camps, but the military results are not 
Tr n R n ° l ‘ pa ''V CU ? iU ' ly s * ought b - v the government, 
t is the peimanent lasting effect on the young citizens 
of our country winch is the primary reason for these 
camps. Instruction in citizenship is a particular aim in 
the citizens military training camps. Military training 
is used as a basis of camps because it gives to a young 
man, discipline punctuality, neatness, health, knowledge 
of sanitation, physical expertness, life in the open life 
among others in a group, and self-control. Military de- 
iff lk l eCh - mq , U ? a !Y ai '^. s ma * v change, but the habits of 
lift acquired in the military camp live on, and the man 
^ eqUi lHy ready as_ a soldier or to serve his country 
otherwise because of these military qualities, though the 
afi chaVged!” 8 miIitary forces " Ia -V appear to have 
Secondly, it will enlighten your readers to know that 
there has recently been organized for this Corps Area— 
which is composed of the States of New York, New Jer¬ 
sey and Delaware—a Civilian Advisory Committee as 
follows: Brig.-Gen. Guy E. Tripp, chairman Westing 
house Electric and Manufacturing Company Mo si till 
Pair.,* J. Hayes, Archbishop olK ffl j'S It"' 
’ banning, D.D., Bishop of New York - Dr Suin' 
uel Schulman, rabbi. Temple Beth-el; Hon. Murray Hidl 
bert, president Board of Aldermen, City of New York • 
PHncetoif W Univerl 
Delaware & Hudson Company; Newcomb Car Ron” 4 the 
Mom Western Union T&JaphcSanyT'^T 
I ieison, president Merchants’ Association of New York : 
M ss Maude Wetmore, chairman Women’s Department’ 
National Civic Federation - Airs lot... it 
dent New York Federation’of Women’s c'lubs. *’ Pt ’ eS1 ' 
It will be noted that a large number of the prominent 
civic and religious groups are represented on this cm, - 
mittee in the persons of their respective leaders Each 
of these groups has gone-on record as being in favor of 
the Citizens Military Training Camps befaifse of tlm 
marked improvement observed physically, mentally-,ml 
in a broad sense morally in the individual n 
who have had the benefit of this traiing. ' Does i,,v 
father or mother imagine that Archbishop Ilayes Bish¬ 
op Manning or Dr. Schulman, the rem-esenint;,^’ 7 AT 
Jewish Welfare Board, would advocate these camps 
were the moral influence other than good? Or that the 
Civic Federation represented bv Miss Wet m , :? e 
Federation of Women’s Club" in the pereon of Mr/ 
Booth, representing the mothers of the young men' 
would go on record as supporting the traini 
movement if they did not know from observation and 
investigation the splendid results looking to a L ter 
three^yeaTs?' haVC bp “ n ° btained da W the wS 
l ly jooo bav j ng been “yself an instructor at Platts 
buig in 1 J2w and as having inspected all tin* r»*imrw i 1 i 
in tliivi Corntj Arpn iooq t * . <U1 me camps held 
in uns Ceorps Aieu m 1923, I am in a position to testi¬ 
fy. that no greater misconception of the “net result of 
this training on the average boy” could be imagined 
than that which “Father” apparently has. Of the “ha d 
boiled there is nothing; of bayonet training none The 
mental picture drawn is a relic of the war days when 
men were intensively trained to kill or else be killed 
The citizens; military training camps are primarily cit¬ 
izenship training camps, with all that citizen shin in, 
Plies in relation to the State. They are held secondariTv 
for he purpose of training the young men of the country 
n the use ot ann.s to defend their country, and in this 
respect they are the surest guarantee against war 
Civilian Aide for State of New York. 
