a typical Vermont town with a population of 1,131 and an assessed valuation of $863,960. Orleans is composed of a central village surrounded by farms. The village is prosperous and bustling and contains the types of business activities common to many Vermont towns, the lumber industry perhaps being the most important. The surrounding farming region is excellent and marks the community as primarily an agricultural one.

The problem of the school board in 1914 was not in the quality of the work done in the school, but was rather a twofold problem of a different nature. During the three years preceding, the average attendance in high school was only 35 out of a total average attendance of 232 for the same period. To increase high-school attendance and thus promote the efficiency of the whole school system was the first problem.

About 40 per cent of the high-school students have come from the districts outlying, mostly children of farmers. The old type of high school offered to these children little except courses designed to prepare for college. To offer to these boys and girls a kind of instruction which would link the school with their homes and give them a broader outlook upon life was the second problem.

Reports of the study of agriculture in other schools led the board of directors and the superintendent, Mr. E. L. Erwin, to believe that the solution of the second problem would go far toward solving the first problem; that is, to broaden the course of study and to utilize the things of common experience in the formation of this course would, it was thought, increase high-school attendance and thus increase the efficiency of the whole school system.

Steps were immediately taken to establish an agricultural course, and the superintendent of the district was instructed to engage a principal.

The school officials secured a principal trained for agricultural work and who had actual experience in organizing and putting upon a paying basis a school farm. The principal, thoroughly interested in the experiment, consented to come with the condition that he should be given free rein and at least $1,000 to equip a school farm. He agreed to stay for at least three years. The successful outcome of the school proves the wisdom of the school board in accepting these conditions.

After the foregoing brief description of preliminary matters, it will perhaps be well to put once more concretely the purposes of the principal.

1. To make the agriculture and home economics training a part of a course which will give the pupils an insight into as many occupations as possible, and thus enable them the better to choose their life work.

2. To offer to as many boys and girls as possible an idea of agriculture as one of the elements of a broad education fitting for any profession.

3. To offer to such boys and girls as desire it a chance to learn agriculture as a profession.

4. To build up in a small high school an agriculture equipment, including a school farm, for less than $1,000 and to make it pay its way when once established.

The work in agriculture centers around the school farm. The principal was offered by the directors his choice of two pieces of land, the one a most fertile tract of 6 acres somewhat distant from the school and the other a plat of about 2 acres, consisting mostly of swampy land directly back of the schoolhouse. The principal chose the latter plat of 2 acres because of its accessibility and because of the opportunity to improve it. Through a generous gift of part of the land by two public-spirited citizens this plat was secured and is now owned by the town as part of the school property.

The boys at once set about clearing the land of rocks, stumps, and willow bushes and finished it at an expense of $8.25. The school board then voted $200 for tile-draining the land. The boys borrowed surveying instruments, and with them laid out the farm, ran the lines of their draining trenches and assisted in the ditching, the laying and joining of the tile, and had a hand in every process concerned. This was finished at a cost of $197.97.

A plan of the farm was now made from the surveys and after careful study the following divisions were decided upon as being the best arrangement for a Vermont farm: (1) Orchard, (2) forest, (3) rotation plat, (4) potato plat, (5) grass plat, (6) museum garden, and (7) kitchen garden for grades.

The orchard and nursery first claimed the attention of another class. A plat 200 by 90 feet has been set apart for the orchard. The class spent some time in studying the subject and especially in ascertaining the varieties of fruits best suited for the region. They then drew a plan of the orchard, staked out the ground, and dug the holes for the trees. The stock was ordered from a fruit nursery. It was decided to have permanent trees, and fillers, and to plant small fruits between the rows.

The class set out in the nursery all the stock which was left. In the spring the class sprayed the trees, did work in budding and grafting and replaced from the nursery all varieties which had died during the winter. This orcharding was done entirely by the boys and at a cost of $27.80.

During the winter the class studied forestry and in the spring staked out their forest. From the Vermont State Nursery, through the kindness of the State forester, the class obtained the spruce, pine,

hemlock, and cedar trees which it had decided to plant and the forest was set out. In the spring of the next year the forestry class as an Arbor Day exercise replaced the dead trees from the nursery in the presence of all the school children of the community. The school forest was planted entirely by the boys and at a cost of $2 for express charges on the trees.

The rotation plat was staked out and after study the following rotation of crops was determined upon: Corn, potatoes, oats, and grass for two years. The crops were planted, cultivated, and partly harvested by the boys.

A museum plat was laid out; this was divided into 38 small divisions, each containing a grain or vegetable which the pupil having charge of the same wished to study. The museum plat was simply for the purpose of investigation, and the pupils were allowed to plant in it whatever they pleased.

The remaining division of the school farm was utilized as kitchen gardens for the grades. There were four of these gardens, each 40 by 60 feet, and they were planted and cared for by the pupils of the grades under the direction of and with the assistance of the highschool students. The products were taken by the children to their homes. These kitchen gardens thus served a double purpose: First, to interest the children in the subject of agriculture, and second, to give the high-school boys an opportunity to use their training.

Much of the material raised has been given away, but some of the products of the school farm have been disposed of for money and this money turned in to the town treasury. But more important than all else, the school farm has furnished for the boys and girls of Orleans an out-of-door laboratory for the study of these things which are most closely related to the life of the average Vermont child.

A greenhouse was part of the equipment which the principal had in mind, and at his request the school board appropriated $400 to erect one. The subject was thoroughly studied in the classroom, and complete plans for a 15 by 30 foot lean-to greenhouse were discussed and drafted by the boys. The class then listed all materials and equipment needed and secured prices on the same from local firms. After comparing prices, the material was ordered. Because of the lateness of the season, workmen from the town were engaged to erect the greenhouse, but the boys took an active part in each of the building processes-cement work, carpentry, glazing, plumbing, and wiring. The greenhouse was built adjoining a building belonging to the school, and the class prepared the old building, in which the heating plant was to be installed, by excavating, making a cement foundation for the boiler, and cutting doors and necessary openings.

The greenhouse is used as a winter laboratory. Radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, flowers, etc., are cultivated. Bee

culture is made a part of the course, and the equipment includes a swarm of bees. All the space in the greenhouse is utilized. Under the benches chickens are kept in coops, thus making brooders unnecessary. Experiments of various kinds are carried on in the greenhouse. Soils are analyzed, the value of various kinds of fertilizers is determined, the pollenization of plants is studied, and many other activities are taken up. The value of the greenhouse as a winter laboratory is very great.

As in the case of the farm, the products of the greenhouse are sold. Early vegetables find a ready market among the townspeople. Much is given away. The greenhouse is cared for by the class, and especially by one boy, who has a very attractive room near the boiler and who has charge of the heating. The total cost of the greenhouse, including all equipment, was $448.12.

In order to study dairying in a practical way, the boys felt the need of a laboratory. It was therefore decided to equip a dairy room in the basement of the schoolhouse. Permission was secured from the school board, and $60 was voted to defray the expense. This work, as in all other projects, was largely done by the boys, including carpentry, cement work, and plumbing. A small room was furnished and equipped as follows: Two separators (loaned by separator companies), milk cooler, churn, butter worker, cheese vat, press, and other necessary utensils, furnished by local creamery at cost.

The total cost of the dairy room, covering both building and equipment, was $62.03.

Training in the actual manufacture of butter and cheese is given, and such other practical work as is connected with dairying.

The latest addition to the school plant is a poultry house. Much interest in poultry raising evinced itself among the boys, and it was decided to ask the school board for a poultry house. The board voted for this purpose $75. Plans were drawn for a house 12 by 24 feet, 8 feet high in front and 4 feet high in the rear. There are two yards 12 by 60 feet, with doors from each opening into the house. The material was estimated and purchased by the boys, and the building has been entirely constructed by them. It is interesting to note that they agreed during the spring to work certain days each week and to begin the day's work at 5 a. m., and work till schooltime. Not a boy failed to be on the job promptly at the time set.

Manual training is taught not as a separate course, but in correlation with every subject. In the different projects outlined above, the best possible training in carpentry, plumbing, glazing, cement work, and repair work has been furnished. The boys of the ninth grade sold soap, and with the proceeds bought tools. They made the tomato-plant boxes for the greenhouse.

The summary of cost for the plant and equipment is as follows:

Last year if the one item, coal, is omitted, the farm and greenhouse showed a profit of $17.74 over and above all expenses.

ANNUAL VERMONT STATE BOYS' AND GIRLS' AGRICULTURAL AND

INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITION.

The first plan for a State boys' and girls' exposition was worked out in the fall of 1914 in Windsor County by the Young Men's Christian Association, when a successful exposition was held in the Kennedy arena at Windsor, Vt. The following year, with the help of an appropriation provided by the legislature and the cooperation of various organizations and the State board of education, another very successful exposition was held in October, 1915, on the fair grounds at Rutland, Vt.

The annual convention of the State Teachers' Association of Vermont was held in Burlington during the week of the third exposition. The main object of these expositions is to arouse more general public interest in vocational education and industrial training. The plan is for such schools to use schoolroom equipment, photographs, charts, and signs, to illustrate their work and to give with groups of pupils actual classroom demonstrations of such projects as cooking, garment making, baking, canning, basketry, blacksmithing, butter making, mechanical arts, printing, carpentry work, electrical work, metal work, cement work, etc.

SUPERVISION.

Prior to 1916 there was no supervision of this work except what was done by the department of agricultural education in the State College of Agriculture upon its own initiative. Early in 1916, however, the following agreement was entered into with the State department of education and the College of Agriculture of the University of Vermont:

Memorandum of understanding between the State Board of Education and the State Agricultural College concerning cooperation in the promotion of the teaching of agriculture and household economy in the public schools of Vermont.

I. The State Board of Education, through its executive officer, the Commissioner of Education, invites the State Agricultural College to cooperate in the promotion of the teaching of agriculture and household economy in the public schools and to