Typed as spelled and written - Lena Stone Criswell

THE DAILY DEMOCRAT
Thirty-First Year - Number 214
Marlin Texas, Saturday, January 9, 1932

FINAL VOCATIONAL REPORT
SUBMITTED TO STATE BOARD
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Twenty-Four Start Projects and
Eighteen Stay in to Finish--
Good Records Made.

         The final 1931 report of J. M. Wilson, teacher of vocational agriculture, to the State Board of Vocational Education at Austin, reveals some very interesting facts about the agricultural courses in the Marlin schools and about Falls county farming generally.  First of all, it shows the students can produce cotton, corn, oats, higera, millet, alfalfa, hay, milk, beef, pork, turkeys, chickens and fruit efficiently--and keep accurate and business-like records. too!
       The report shows some crops are more remunerative and adaptable to certain soils than others; it shows the exact yield from each project (a term applied to the student's activity), and it shows the cost of carrying on each project, the net profit derived therefrom and other interesting facts.  The projects were scattered over territory east of the river and thus afford a real prospective of farm conditions.
       Twenty four boys started projects in 1931.  Eighteen finished them, reaped the profit and got the full benefit of the training; three graduated from school without turning in their reports and three left school before their projects were completed.  Each of the twenty four projects were visited by the vocational teacher five times.
       Some of the boys are attending school again this year and continuing their farm training.  They have selected new projects.  Most of them graduated last year, or left school and many have engaged in farm activities for a livelihood; others have gone to college.
       Cotton production, generally was satisfactory in spite of low prices. Take Walton Jones, for instance.  The report shws that on a ten-acre track west of Marlin in the Brazos valley, he produced 11 bales of cotton and 9800 pounds of seed.  He sold the cotton and seed for $357.50.  His cost, including seed, labor and incidentals was $119.55.  This leaves a gross profit of $288.15.  Walton, then, (missing) $5.50 for the actual time he (missing) on the project and the result (missing) he got $232.65, net.
       Walton had two other projects, one a 5-acre tract of corn; another, 5 acres in oats.  Both were satisfactory.  He got 250 bushels of corn and 300 bushels of oats.  His net profit from the corn was $52.30 plus $3.00 for his labor; from the oats, he got $51.25 plus $1.50 for his time.
       On the prairie northeast of Marlin, Arthur Scheef got 6.87 bales of cotton and 5300 pounds of seed from a 10-acre tract.  He sold them for $226.06; the cost was $103.70 and his profit was $131.36.  Taking out $9.00 for his own labor, Arthur made $122.36, net profit.
       Arthur, also had two other projects -- a 5-acre corn patch and a 2-acre field of millet.  He realized a total profit of $20.20 from the corn and $29.75 from the millet.
       Ray Ward made $102.60 from three cows, but did not come out so well with his five acres of higera ona  tract of land near Marlin on the McClanahan road.  The figures show he lost $11.00 cash and labor valued at $6.00 on teh higera.  Wilford Woodland, likewise, experienced a loss.  On 100 chickens, he lost $23.30 worth of his own labor and $10.90 in cash.  But he, too, was resourceful and made up the loss on another project -- a orchard.  From the orchard he got $31.25 profit plus $8.20 additional for his labor.
       The above are examples of results obtained and show the nature of work accomplished in 1931.  The names of the vocational agriculture boys and their 1931 projects:

One Class.

       Tom Bradshaw, 1 milch cow.
       Robert Falsone, 5 acres cotton and 5 acres alfalfa.
       Walton Jones, 10 acres cotton, 5 acres corn and 5 acres oats.
       Hannibal Tadlock, 5 acres cotton and 2 acres corn.
       Edwin Schmalz, 5 acres cotton and pork production, 1 hog.
       Paul Powers, 5 acres cotton, beef production and 2 hogs.
       Arthur Scheef, 10 acres cotton, 5 acres corn and 2 acres millet.
       John Threadgill, milk production, 1 cow.
       Ray Ward, milk production, 3 cows and 5 acres higera.
       Wilford Woodland, poultry production and orchard.
       William Price, mutton and wool production and 2 acres cotton.
       Louis Schrader, 5 acres cotton.

Another class.

       Frank Huseby, 20 acres cotton, 5 acres corn and 5 acres oats.
       William Lange, 5 acres cotton, 39  turkeys and 1 milk cow.
       J. T. Marek, milk cow.
       Gaines Sparks, beef production and 50 acres hay.
       William Stone, 14 acres cotton.
       Wilson Weiting, 4 acres cotton, 7 hogs, and 2 acres corn.

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Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing
by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls County, Texas.