The aews in this pubhca- tion is released for the press on the date indicated below. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA NEWS LETTER Published weekly by the University of North Carolina for its Bureau of Extension. MARCH 31, 1915 CHAPEL HILL, N. C. , VOL. I, NO. 19 '’^Editorial Koitrtit K- C-. Hi'Hn.soii, rL C.4^. (Icli* K- Wilson. /C. \ . .Tiuld, s ];. W inters, T.. A. Williams Kiitcred as s( coiid-class matter November 14, MM4, at the postolHc.i* at (Jliapei Hill, N.C,, under thea?r (»f Auj^ust 24. llll:?. CAROLINA CLUB NOTES Yearly Food Averages Till- aimiial pi'r Ciipita (■oiisuiiiptiim i>f where eoni is a iso useil as fooil, ; .is in t!ie South, is 4 bii, ; in Miiiiie, 4.7 ; in Mi'hioaii, 5 l>ii. ; in Miuiusotoa . mil othi'i-wheat f{ruw'inn states, 7,2 liu. In the (•(miitry-at-larfri' theaverajre eon- siiiii|itiin Ilf wiieat per year is 5.3 hii. : ,rjnl i)f irish jidtaloes is 3.8 hii. Our Wiieat and Potato Deficit ')!! llie basis of llie lijfiires iif tile Kc‘(l- ejai Dejiai'tnn'ivt of .\grieuitiin‘, our total wheat detieil in North (’arolina in 1914 v\as 2,026.000 hn., and oiir [rish fiolato deHrit was 7.715,000 hu. Mere are .some tive million dollai's tlial we niisht fie kee|iing at home if we raised a sutliciency nf wheal and potatoes. Hut in the census year )range rai.sed wheat enoiiiih and to sjiart-. The mar ket sni'iilns was nearly 20.000 Itushels. Still Moving Up In 1909, North ('aroliiia's rank in the vearly (irodtti-tion of the thirteen standard 4',rop.‘i vvaa 22iid. In 1914 our rank was 17th- hi live years .Vorth Carolina has snovwl ahead of fi't* stales in airi'ieiiltural yirodiietioii. Tlu^ total value of all erips in the State last yeJir was around ^>172,000,000. — Fi^- ■sirt^s ttaacd nn the l't>ileral Karmei-s' Bul letin, No. 651 Does a Garden Pay? (lovermuenl expert.s investiy:ated the f,Kid consumed annually in SSfat'tii homes intiastou ('c)unty in 1913. Tht\v I'oimd that iicarl> exactly one-fourih of the year's food consisted of vegi‘tables, fruits and the like; and that 96 jier cent of it caiii(‘ from the home gardens. Does it |iay to have a garden? In t.ras- ton county the ttarden fiirniishwi upon an av(*rase ^93.50 of fruits and vegeta- l)les |)er year. It^s a ;;ood arKUineiit for the garden. SEND FOR IT rp at f'hapel Hill I’resident K. K. (raham and his associates are making; the riiiversity such a force in the life of the stal(' as it has never iieen before, and I’l'ofe.ssoi'Hianson's “Know-Your- ( 'oiinty ' ('lull movement is giving all of US an acc|iiainntance with the slat‘ \\f ha\e nc\'ei had tn4'ore. \\ on't you do this I'oi' us, Mr. Kai- mer. just t;ike a [lostal carfi atui ad dress "The State I'niversity, (Chapel llill. and say, “Please send me voiir weekly I'niversity News l,'tter." \hiylie you tiiiiik you won’t be intci’ested in it hut yon will. Take our advice and yo.u will thank us ever after, it's free. —The Progressive Farinei. NORTH CAROLINA CLUB STUDIES I1NCREASIN(; CATTLE IN NORTH CAROLINA ■ In 1910, there were 700,861 cattle in North Carolina; an increase of 76,300 or 12 : p*‘,r eeiit during tihe census period. In tlie tables that follow. Mr. T). K. Kagle, of the Iredell County Club at the Uni- ' vpr.sityi e.Khibits the iiuM'ease or dei'reasti of eattle county by county, anl ranks the . .■•>nnt.ie.« ai'cordtngly, CALDWELL FIRST IN GAINS: WILSOiN FIRST liN LOSSES Fifty-tive counties, headed by Caldwell with s 62 per cent increase, made gains ;iii (•iitt.tle teyond the average for the State-at-largi-, 12 per cent. Fourteen made gains in cattle, but fell behind the State average increase. ' Twenty-live i‘fnintie;i suffered lo.sses in cattle, ranging from three-tentlis of one ■jie.r cent in Transylvania to 52 per cent in Wilson County. HOPEFUL IINDICATIONS • iains ocexired in all the tobaci'o counties lying along the N’irginia line; and in ;ill the cotton counties along the South Carolina line except Robeson and Coliimhiis. DISTRESSING LOSSES The iunnber of cattle in Nortli Carolina per 1,000 acres of area in 1910 was 23. .\11 but three of the (•(^unties that liecreased in cattle during the la.st censu.s peiiod had f«W'er cattle than the 3tale-at-large; 16 had fewer thair 20, and 5 of theiu fewer than 10 eattle per 1,000 acre.s. In these five counties in 1910 were 1,543,000 uncultivated acres of land. Here ia wilderness range area, mild winters, and abiimlant water. But strange to say. the -,attle decreases in these counties ranged from 14 (ii'r cent in Robeson to 52 (>er cent ■ jn 'Wilson County. CAT1T.E INCREASES DURING LAST CENSUS PERIOD ( Based on the 12th and 13i:li Censu.-i Reports) D. F,. KAGLE, Iredell County (iliib. Per ('em 19 18 18 1« 18 17 17 - 17 .^..16 ’..16 16 15 15 15 15 15 14 14 . 13 13 12 12 11 II 11 10 10 10 9 Rank .County Per Cent Hank County 1- Caldwell 62 35. Watauga 2 Aslx* , ,48 38. Harnett ,S. V'ance 17 38. Davidson 4. Tyrrell 46 38. Granville 5. Madison 42 38. Cabarrus • 6. l.'amden 38 42. Macon 7. Surry 35 42. Pasijiiotank . 8. Union 34 42. 'I'aucey S. Greene 34 45. Rutherford .. 10. Anson .33 45. Haywood 10. Jlockingham 33 45. ('herokec , 12, .\lleghany 32 48. Dn[ilin 12, Wilkes 32 48. •lohnston 14. Wake 31 48. Ijenoir 14, Warren 31 4,S, .McDowell, . 16. Stanly 30 48. Pamlico 16. Buncombe 30 53. ■Scotland 18. Cleveland 29 53. Durham IS. )range 29 55. ■Jackson 18. Stokes 29 ^5. 'S’a'lkin 21. Iredell , . . 27 57. Perquimans 21. Gaston 27 57. Franklin 28. Lincoln 25 59. (■as we 11 23. Davie 25 59. Kdge.com be , 25. (Catawba 23 59. Rowan 26. Carteret 22 62, Currituck , ,. 26 Craven 22 62. Burke VTrfollfiU 22 62. .Alexander Z>Q- 29. Sampson 21 65. Pender 30. Kichmond 20 66. Cumberland 30. Met^klenburg 20 67. Brunswick . 30. Forsyth 20 68. Graham , 30. Guilford 20 68. Halifax 30. Alamance 20 70. Nash 35, .lone.s.. ,19 71. Northampton ?5. Person 19 72. I'ransylvania What Our State Taxes Paid For In 1912 The per capita cost of (lur ,State govern ment in North Carolina in 1912 was }>1.46. According to a recent bulletin of the Fel- (*ral (V'usiis I'nreau, it was spent as fol- li>vvs: ' Charities. hos[iitals, and eori'ee- tions 49 e.enta J-’ublic education 44 cents Interest—on bonds and borrowed money 16 cents Apportionments—school c(|ualiz- ing fund, etc 13 cents Prote('tifin to pc'rson and proper ty 9 cents General goverinnent expenses. , 9 eents Mi.scelUuK.'ous iinl general — printing, insiirance, ete 3 eents Public health, and sanitation 2 cents Outlays—new buildings, improve ments etc 1 cent Higlways—less than half a «nt. Libraries—less than half a cent. Reci’eation—less than half a cent. Total . . fl. 16 A glance through thevse itein.s shows that a single circus ticket costs more than the per capita expenditure upon either schools or hospitals. That a moving picture ticketor two costs more than the per capita expenditure for general go^erninent purposes, or the protection of person and property. A single ten cent cigar or plug of to bacco costs more than the per capita expenditure for [lublic health, sanitatiotr, and highways. 6 5 . , 5 3 0.2 0.1 Puss-In-A-Corner For long years, the teachers in their various meetings have been drawing aside in sweet conspiracies for the wel- fari‘ and well-being of the children. Kvervwh(>re these little bands of faith ful public servants have been discussing vital community problems, and reaching conclusions that ought to have been shouted from the housetops and thun dered in ev(‘ry ear. They have been playing the game of Piiss-in-u-corner. Not so in Hillsboro the other day. I’rom the four ciprners of the kingdom of Orange came the farmers and farmwives, merchants and bankers, the doctors, lawyers and mini.sters—a court room full and more—to sit do\\:n with the teachers of the county; to learn what the School, the Church, the Ilealth, and the Farm- Monie surveys mean; and to indicate their interest m the campaign for better things in Olil Orange. It was a new kind of teachers' meeting, and it was truly inspiring. We may thank God, take courage, and go forwaid, said Major .John W, Graham, the chairman. CATTLE DECREASES DURING LAST CENSUS PERIOD Hank County Per Cent 1. . 2. 3. i. 5, (). 6. S. S. ■iO. n. :i2. 13. Onslow 0-3 Clay 0.4 Gates 0.6 Beaufwt 0.7 Hyde 0.9 Martin 1 Hertford 1 Swain '• VVashington 2 Montgomery 3 VVayne 4 Randolph 5 Bertie 8 Rank County Per Cent 14. Polk 9 15. Chowan 10 16. Henderson 13 17. Chatham 14 17. Robeson 14 19. New Hanover 18 19. Pitt 18 21. Columbus 31 22. Bladen 35 23. Moore 43 24. Dare 44 24. Wilson 52 Country-Store Libraries It is a crime to teach a child to lead unless you breel in him a love for noble books. And how shall young people come into the shadow of noble ideals, the noblest of the I'ace. without access to noble books'? The community Club in Chapel Hill is beginning to plac* I>end-a-volume libra ries in the country stores of Orange—the first in ^Ir. Craig’s store at University Station. The country stores are open all the year round. Everybody goes to thern. The country store keepers do not mind the bother. They are a clever set of men everywhere. Hooking-up countiy stores for social service is a great idea. Write Mrs. Joseph Hyde Pratt, President of the Community Club, Chapel Hill, N, 0., for details of the plan. UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION LETTER SERIES NO. 21 Get It Now Tbe wile-awa.ke leacber in our rural schools should make it a point to st>cure immediately from the C. S. Department of .\gric.iiltnre at VV’aahington. Bulletin No. 132. on {!orn“laling .\griculture Witii Public School Subjects in the Southern States. The suggestions are vital, specific, well- organized and entirely usable. The pos sibilities for hel[iing our agrictiUural situ ation and interesting our country boys and girls in farm life by jneans of the plan outlhiel in this bulletin are too great to be missed. Send for it at once. Farm-Life School Helps The teachers of .Vgriciiltiire in our Farm-lif> Schools should write ro the C. S. Department of Agriculture at Wa-sh- ington and ask for Farmers' Bulletin No. 638, on Laboratory lilxercises in Farm Mechanics for Agricultural High Schools. The bulletin contains not one experi ment impossible to perform in the most poorly equippcMl Farm-life High .Scliool laboratory. Kvery experiment, too, i.s very practicatile and clos(4y connectwi with farm work. You cannot atl'ord to he wilhoiU it. Helps in Club 'Work If you have a Pig Cltib in your .school, and you ought to hav(>. t)«> I'. S. Depart ment of .Agricnltnre has a special buljetin issued November 25. 1914 on How South ern Farmers May tiel a Start in I'ig Raising. Perhap you have a Poultrv Club in your school, [f so. send to the IJ. S. De partment of .\griculture at Washington for the special bulletin issued Movemlter 30. 1914, Suggestions on Poultry Rais ing for the Southern Farmer. The boys in the Pig ("luhs might l«' in- teresti'd in another bulletin i.ssued by this same department on. How to H.se Anti- Hog-Cholera Serum. .Anyway it is worih having tlie,se bulletins for use with the farmers whos‘ children ai-e in your school. NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL NEWS The Good Roads Institute Between ninety and a hundred engi neers. superintendents, overseers, road commissioners and county commissioners were gathered in the Peabody Building of the University the last week in Feb ruary to thresh out the problem of good roads in North Carolina. The distinguished speakers from abroiid were Strahan of Georgia, C^rosby of Bal timore, W'inslow of the Federal (_)t!ice of Public Roads, Coleman of Virginia, and Ezzell of the Southern Railw'ay. These good roads conferences of Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt increase in power and influence year by year. More Hospitality Supt. .i. .A. M(d,eod of !Moore county writes: On October 30th 1914, Mrs. H. F. Se.a- well and teachers of the graded school served sandwiches and hotcoH'ee to all the rural teachers at our County As.sociation, (We were there and enjoyed the food and friendliness.) On last Saturday the h’ound Dozen Mu sic Club of Carthage did the same thing and highly entertained the teachers with a music program of thirty minutes. Thus are all the forces for freedom and justice combining their strength to build a mighty North Carolina—a true leader in democracy for the South, Still They Come The Roxboro Courier proclaims at least two moonlight schools in Person county and calls attention to the good they are doing there. Mr. A. S. Lawrence is t'onducting a very successful night school in -West Hills boro, Orange coimty. In Carrboro, the nsiuil evening si.:ho,il for the mill folks has begun its spring session at w'hich the young men of the University are getting valuable first-hand training for this kind of educational en deavor. Soutli Wadesboro, Anson countyr has also joined in the movement to bring the light of knowledge tfi those who sit in darkness. Tlius does the good w ork go on and all over the "State the forces that stand for freedom and light are determinedly break ing the shackles of serfdom aiid of dark ness. Moonlight Schools in Orange We have been rejoicing over the rapid ■ ly multiplying moonlight .schools in the State; but we have .said nothing until now about the moonlight schools in I Orange. But we have had such schools, I Some of them have been in o|>eration a I long time. The Carrs mainlain a night school for ; the mill village peo|ile in (Carrboro, Rev. A. S. Lawrence has long had a Moonlight .school for the mill people in West Hillsboro. Prof. Noble with Twenty University students has another school four nights in the week in Carrboro for some fifty regular attendants, Mr. W. C. Rymer with twenty of liLs college mates keeps going a moonlight school and a Sunlay School for negro youths in Carrboro. The A New Move A Good Plan County Board of Kducatiou in In a I’ecent issue of the W'estern Caro- hna Democrat Mr. K. A. Reed pub lishes a table showing the number of repeaters, or retarded pupils, in his school and frankly discusses the causes therefor. lie concludes, very justly, that absence from school, for whatever reason, is the father of this condition and he calls on the parents to co-operate with him in preventing a grow'th of sui^h conditions. Moreover, he points out that the ulti mate end of such a condition is elimina tion of the repeaters from school. In other words the boys and girls are not getting Jull value of the education pro vided by the State. This is the very lamentable and inevitable result every where. This is the first time we have seen such facts published in any paper in North Carolina. It is a move in the right direc tion. The folks who pay the taxes and send their children to school have a right to know to what extent their money is being wisely used and to know why bet ter results are not obtained. By the way, Mr. Reed’s figures show that conditions in his school are not as bad as in the United States as a whole, though they are bad enough. Alleghany has adojited a plan worthy of 1 emulation by more of the County Boards, ; In a recent issue of the couirty paper they published a full account of the receipts and expenditures for the .schools of the county for the year. In addition, the per capita distribution was shown for the various districts and an explanation ofi'er- ed as to the reason for the seeming great differences in apportionment. In a third table was shown the progress made by the schools of the county for a five year period, fnvastigation, sug gestion and criticism from the patrons was asked and a willingness shown to place the work of the County Board of Education squarely lx*fore the people of the county. If there are any folks who should be wiUing to have their work investigated and placed liefore the public it is the various committees who have charge of public funds. The C’ounty Boards of F^d- ucation can well afford to place their actions in full view of the public. The patrons of the schools will appre« ciate it; and when the time comes for the school authorities to ask for more finan cial aid for public education the citizens of the counties who know what their Boards of Education are doing will have an intelligent basis on which to ca«t their votes.

Page Text

This is the computer-generated OCR text representation of this newspaper page. It may be empty, if no text could be automatically recognized. This data is also available in Plain Text and XML formats.

Return to page view