Union Academy - Yearbook (Belleville, NY)

Page 24 text:

THE MATHER SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE By the gift of 310,000 from the families of George Mather and William W. Mather, in 1901, a school of agriculture was added to the departments already taught at Union Academy. As Union Academy is the Hrst secondary school in the state to introduce agriculture into its curriculum, the progress has necessarily been slow. The rapidly increasing interest in the physical and natural science studies has paved the Way for the successful introduction of agriculture. Definite schedules have been formulated and the Work carefully planned to meet the needs both for the younger students Who may later take Work in an agricultural college or may return to the farm and for the older persons who may Wish to put in practice at once the principles of agriculture. For the former the course of instruction is so arranged that besides the principles that underlie practical agriculture one may also get sufficient English, mathematics, literature, modern language and science to enable one to secure the regular Academic Regents diploma. For those who care particularly for the practical side of agriculture they will devote their sole attention upon purely agricultural subjects, taking up the improved methods used in the various operations of farming, such as the use of farm machinery, value of fertilizers, both commercial and farm, treatment of soils, management of crops, feeding and caring for stock, dairy operations, poultry keeping, study of breeds and breeding, diseases of plants and animalsvvith methods for treatment of same, the study of chemistry in its application to agriculture, and insects in relation to grains and fruit trees. In short all phases of agriculture Will be treated. The courses of this department are three: 1. The regular four year course.

Page 23 text:

20 UNION ACADEMY DEPARTMENT OF ART The department of art will at present offer instruction in sketching and painting. Provision for other lines of work in this department will be made in accordance with the demand therefor. No previous preparation is required of pupils who take the Work of this department, hence no entrance examinations are necessary. X

Page 25 text:

22 UNION ACADEMY 2. CThe special two year course. 3. 'l'The winter ten week course. tThe special courses are designed more particularly for older persons who may have only alimited amount of time for studyg but age will not debar any one from either ,of the courses. CHEMISTRY OF DAIRIYNG This course consists in general management of modern dairying, the methods of milk analysis, the bacteriology of milk, the use of separators, the methods of testing milk fmost emphasis being placed on the Babcock centrifugal testj, ripen- ing of cream, butter and cheese making. All the chemicals and allied changes which take place in the handling of milk and its manufacture into butter and cheese. Students receive practical training in the modern methods at the Belleville Dairymen's Association Factory. This is a new factory equipped throughout with modern apparatus for both butter and cheese making. In size it ranks among the iirst in the state. i ' Text-book used in this course is t'Chemistry of Dairyingn by Harry Snyder. Bulletins from the various experiment stations are read and discussed.