Red Deer Composite High School - Yearbook (Red Deer, Alberta Canada)

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AGRICULTURE PLANT SCIENCE The courses in plant science are practical courses which offer you an opportunity to study and apply those techniques and practices which lead to successful field and horticulture production, and which would be of immediate practical value to you. Through project work carried on at home or at the school, under the supervision of the instructor, you have an opportunity not only to apply what you learn at the school but also to acquire money with which to expand your projects into a business of your own. In the field and laboratory you test and evaluate different soils; observe, study and plan tillage practices and soil management, paying particular attention to the maintenance of soil fertility and the use of fertilizers. You learn which implements to use, their proper adjustment, maintenance and use. Considerable practical experience is obtained with cereals and forage crops. You learn about varieties, their identification and where they may best be used. You study recommended cultural practices and crop rotations and get experience in plan¬ ning suitable rotations. In the school laboratory, greenhouse and gardens you can learn about the propo- gation and growing of vegetables, fruits, flowers, shrubs and have an opportunity to do some landscape planning and landscaping. Weeds, insects and plant diseases have always been detrimental to agriculture. You get a practical trainin g and experience in their identification and control through recommended tillage practices, competitive crops and the use of chemicals. In planning and preparing your project work you study farm planning, and learn how to keep records and accounts and make plans for further expansion or alteration of your future production program. ANIMAL SCIENCE For three years livestock has been kept at the school. During the first year people who were wondering around the Green Drill Hall found themselves confronted with beef cattle and steers. In the second year, this location was abandoned and replaced by corrals, which were located further north, adjacent to what is now known as “The Barn”, (previously the Army Cooking School). In addition to beef-calves and steers a herd of dairy cattle were added in the second year and this year there is another addition of sixty more, some pigs and a hundred laying hens. It isn’t likely more stock will be added, as the plan is to have just enough to serve as lab. material. Some of these animals belong to the students and the work they do in connection with them is considered as part of the class work. Every so often, some boy will be found cleaning pens, when he should be in library period. Training is given in the care and feeding of animals; disease and sanitation; animal breeding; judging, housing and practical work. Some work is carried on in the classroom and some in with the stock at school and some on farms located near Red Deer. Each boy participates as follows: 1. Classroom work. 2. Care and feeding of school animals. 3. Judging stock. 4. Field trips to various places. 5. His own individual project. Each student cares for his own or some other animal. The grading for the term depends largely on the project animals. Most projects are carried on at home but some are conducted at the school. The boys in Animal Science are sometimes kidded by their school mates about the type of work they do. But they do not mind this for they know that the knowledge gained will be most useful to them. They like the work and besides it is renumerative. When chided because he must clean a calf pen, a student just smiles as he thinks, “Well, French or Latin won’t get me any money but a well-cared-for calf will.”

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