Page 437

REPORTS OF SCHOOLS IN       WVISCONSIN.             437 
Girls are given instruction in all the branches of household economy. In-
dustrial employees in charge of the different departments strive to prepare
them for the care of homes. Our facilities for this training may be much
im- 
proved by the establishment of a domestic-science building where girls may
be 
given individual instruction in sewing, mending, cooking, baking, laundering,
etc. We are proud of the achievements of our girls, but we have not yet been
able to prepare them as thoroughly for real home makers as we would like.
We expect to improve each year and shall finally accomplish our object. 
Crops.-The area of the school farm is limited, and our efforts in agriculture
are confined to the production of hay for the subsistence of stock and to
the 
production of vegetables for the subsistence of children. We have cut and
cured 23 tons of timothy and clover hay from the cultivated meadow, and as
much more hay from the wild meadow in the marsh. The school farm and 
garden has produced well, and the children are living almost exclusively
on 
vegetables. All crops are about mature, and may be safely estimated to pro-
duce as follows: 40 bushels beets; 20 bushels beans; 4,000 heads cabbage;
25 bushels carrots; 18 barrels cucumbers; 200 bushels onions; 25 bushels
peas, 
green; 1,200 bushels potatoes; 150 bushels rutabagas; 150 bushels turnips.
Twenty schoolboys were each given an individual garden. They planted 
potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, peas, beans, beets, carrots, and cabbages.
The 
total area cultivated by the 20 boys is a little in excess of 1 acre. Their
work 
has been thorough and the garden has produced marvelously. A large number
of the boys are away from the school on leave, and much of the produce will
go 
to waste. A number of the boys have sold small quantities of produce from
their gardens, but the market is very limited and the most of the reward
re- 
ceived for labor expended in producing the garden is the satisfaction of
having 
applied their knowledge to the successful production of a crop which is their
own. This work will be kept up from year to year and a market found for the
produce and every encouragement given to individual effort. 
Stock.-We have two teams of good horses and one team of aged and inferior
animals. They should be replaced with a good team. The dairy herd numbers
15 cows; 13 calves were produced this year. We have 40 head of hogs and 
pigs, most of which will be slaughtered for subsistence of children. Stock
growing is unprofitable in this climate. Forage is high in price and the
feeding 
season is too long for profitable stock growing. For this reason the calves
and 
hogs raised on the school farm are slaughtered for subsistence of school
children 
before they are mature. 
Improvements made.-A large frame building of sixteen rooms, formerly the
property of Sawyer County and acquired by the Government when the school
reservation was ceded by the county for school purposes, was moved a distance
of 170 rods and placed in proximity to the school buildings. It has been
reno- 
vated and repaired, supplied with water line, and attached to the sewer system,
and will be used as employees' quarters and dormitory for boys. It will accom-
modate 30 boys, and will increase our capacity to 215 children. Much of the
labor used in remodeling this building was performed by employees and pupils.
One-half mile of road has been cleared and graded, 100 rods of fenc  built,
2 acres of land have been cleared, 800 feet of sidewalk has been built, and
many 
repairs to buildings have been made. With the exception of moving the house
this work has all been done by school employees and pupils, and the latter
have 
received much valuable instruction. 
In the blacksmith shop a fine new spring wagon has been manufactured, and
work has begun on a buggy. Two boys have done excellent work in this de-
partment, and will remain until the trade is completed. 
Four boys have assisted the carpenter in making repairs and improvements
for the school. 
Improvements necessary.-An addition with basement to the warehouse has 
been authorized, but work on it has not yet begun. We are much in need of
this improvement, and sincerely hope that it may be completed this fall.
With- 
out it I do not know where we shall store much merchandise now being re-
ceived, or the large quantity of vegetables that has been produced in the
school 
garden. 
The school is still without a shop building and the carpenter and blacksmith
are instructing their boys in an old building that was formerly used as a
wood 
shed, which is without a single modern convenience, is dilapidated and unat-
tractive. Its appearance depresses effort rather than inspires it on the
part of 
instructors and pupils who must work therein. A hog house and implement