UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA agricultural Experiment Station College of agriculture e. j. wickson, director BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA CIRCULAR No. 41 (November, 1908) The School of Agriculture on the UNIVERSITY FARM Davis, California Opens January 5th, 1909 DORMITORY, UNIVERSITY FARM CALENDAR, SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE, 1909. Entrance examinations and registration Tuesday, January 5 Instruction begins Wednesday, January 6 Washington 's Birthday Monday, February 22 Recess of one week Saturday, March 27 — Monday, April 5 First term ends Friday, May 28 The California Farmer Boy asks some Pertinent Questions. WHAT IS THE UNIVERSITY FARM? A tract of land covering- 780 acres which was purchased in 1906 by the State of California for the University of California, to use through its College of Agriculture for conducting experiments and for giving instruction to students in agriculture. WHERE IS THE UNIVERSITY FARM? It lies on the west side of the town of Davis and on the north bank of Putah creek in Yolo county. Davis is 13 miles west of Sacramento and ten miles south of Woodland. It is at the junction of two branches of the Southern Pacific railroad, — one leading to Oregon and the other to the east. A vineyard on the farm lies along the west side of the railroad and the buildings can be seen about one-half mile to the west. WHAT KIND OF FARM WORK IS BEING BONE? Forty acres are devoted to experiments in improving the yield and quality of cereals such as barley, wheat and oats. Alfalfa and other legumes are also being tested to find best varieties for forage and cover crops. Nearly thirty acres are in charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for investigations in methods of irrigation. Twenty acres of orchard and vineyard have been planted. Eighty acres are in alfalfa for feeding stock. The major portion is in grain and hay and is being gradually turned over for experimental purposes. WHAT BUILBINGS ARE ON THE FARM? A dairy building containing boiler and engine room, work rooms for separators, churning and cheese making, milk testing laboratory, two class rooms and offices; a pavilion for large meetings and stock judging; a dairy barn accommodating fifty-two milking cows and an equal number of calves, bulls and other stock ; a seed house with labora- tory and store rooms for cereal investigations ; a two and a half story dormitory accommodating sixty boys; a one story building now used for horticultural laboratory and animal husbandry office; an eighty fool water tower with 30,000 gallon tank; two cottages and a group of ranch barns used for work stock, tools and hay. IS ANY INSTRUCTION BEING GIVEN? Five short courses in agriculture are now completed or under way. A dairy course began October 5th, and continues to November 25th. An eight days course in poultry husbandry closed October 20th and a three weeks course in irrigation and general agriculture on October 31st. A four weeks course in animal industry began October 21st, and a three weeks course in horticulture and viticulture on November 4th. The total number of enrollments in the five courses is 115. The School of Agriculture and courses for four-year students in the College of Agriculture from Berkeley, begin in January next. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE? It is in the nature of an agricultural high school, since the academic studies are of the same grade as those in high schools, and the agricul- tural studies are taught in a way to be readily understood by boys of high school age. WHAT ARE THE STUDIES? The first year they are English 5 periods per week, arithmetic 3 periods, soils 7 periods, botany and plant propagation 9 periods and dairy industry 7 periods. Farm practice will be given as the needs of the student indicate. Recitation periods are 45 minutes each. In the agricultural subjects one-third are recitation periods, and two- thirds laboratory periods, the latter being one hour in length. The second and third-year studies will be horticulture, animal hus- bandry, poultry husbandry, irrigation, farm mechanics, carpentry, forge work, agricultural chemistry, land surveying, cereals, grasses and forage crops, drawing and planning farm buildings, agricultural physics, English, history, civics, algebra, geometry. HOW OLD MUST A BOY BE TO ENTER? He must be at least fifteen years of age, and must also give satis- factory evidence of good moral character and good behavior. We ask his teacher and friends to tell us about the latter. Creamery, Pavilion, and Cottage No. 1. One of the 'Varsity Eights. ^\ 5ewge OisposalTanks \ \ aho PuripHou.se General Plan or Buildings UNIVERSITY FARM Davis , Yolo County, California. Pucsemt Builoinss Snowr* Solid. s i»ojcc-tc o Bvjit-oiriss Showm Cross-Hatcmco Sc.au e Iimch»2oo Fcer 5ept 1st I 9o8 lO0 Creamery / SufERinTEHOEMT / Ir-Zl Sffo f -"-*--: Hous e ~-~J / / ^Tr Dining Room aho Kitcmem Dormitories # GfNfR«L 5uPE(HKTt(10£KT TIMRr5eiMM CffEAMfffr 5tock Riviuon EnSINEERINS HORTICULTURE HoUJEHOlO ARTS 1 AoniHISTMTlOV, LlBRXRY ANO Auoitoriuk. GeMERXL LABORATORIES Some of the Young Stock. Alfalfa at the Right. Creamery — Separator and Churning Rooms. WHAT SCHOOL TRAINING MUST HE HAVE? He should have completed the eighth grade of the grammar school. If he holds a grammar school certificate he will be admitted without examination. If he does not hold such a certificate, he Avill be admitted upon passing an examination in English, arithmetic, United States history and geography, covering the usual work done in the grammar schools. WHAT IS THE METHOD OF ENTERING? Fill out the application found in this circular and mail to Univer- sity Farm, Davis. Send your grammar school certificate at the same time. If you have no certificate, but wish to take the entrance exam- ination, send the recommendations of your former teacher or county superintendent with the application. You will soon receive a letter from the Superintendent of University Farm Schools telling of the action on your application. Leave home in time to arrive in Davis on Tuesday, January 5th, 1909. If you are to take the examination you will need to to come earlier, for it begins at 9 o'clock that morning. All students register for the school that afternoon between 2 and 5 o'clock. WHERE DO THE BOYS LIVE? In a dormitory which has rooms for about sixty. For the first year meals will not be provided on the Farm, but can be obtained in town adjoining. The rooms are furnished with everything needful except bed linen and blankets. Each student must bring his own, and should have two double blankets, two pair of sheets, three pillow cases, and hand and bath towels. The most of the beds are three-quarter size, the re- mainder one-half size. On each floor of the dormitory are ample bath rooms with shower and tub baths, toilets and lavatories. On the first floor is a large living room with a fireplace, book cases and everything to make it home-like. WHAT IS THE COST OF THE COURSE? For the first term, January to May, 1909, a laboratory fee of $5.00 will be charged each student to cover the cost of materials used. A deposit of $5.00 will be required to pay for breakage of glass-ware or apparatus. The fee for the full year will be $10.00, while the deposit will remain $5.00. Board and room cost not to exceed $25.00 per month. Books and regular school supplies amount to about $15.00 per year. Special clothing, like white suits in the dairy and overalls and jumpers are also needed, possibly two suits per year at one dollar each. The total for an eight-months year is thus about $240.00. WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF THE COURSE? Regularly, three years. Those entering in January, 1909, will finish in June, 1911 — two and one-half years. The school year will, ordinarily, begin about October first and end June first. DOES THE SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE PREPARE FOR COLLEGE? No. Its object is to furnish a technical training in agriculture to those who feel that they do not desire or are not able to pursue a college course. After finishing the course in the school a student can usually make up the remaining necessary college entrance subjects at any accredited high school, in one or two years. IS THE COURSE IN AGRICULTURE INTERESTING? To a boy who likes country life, who is fond of plants or animals or anything in nature, it is the most interesting course of study he can take. Moreover, this study of nature brings out what is best in the boy and makes a better man of him. It also gives him such a knowledge of practical affairs that his earning capacity is greatly increased. ARE GIRLS ADMITTED? Not the first year, because there have not been funds sufficient to provide accommodations for them. It is hoped that the next legislature will make an appropriation for dormitories, dining room and labora- tories for a home and for instruction for girls in household arts. This work has a value for girls very similar to the agricultural course for boys. AJEV V* OF THE ; UNIVERSITY