Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-21

total membership of about $4,000. They
originated in New York about 1893, under
the auspices OF the agricultural depart
ment Of Cornell University and as de-
velopment from its nature study lessons.
The work spread over the entire state
and has taken a variety of forms such as
local contests In corn. potato and fruit
growing, poultry raising. dairy and garden
contests. with special prizes to girls for
the best work in sewing and bread max
ing. The opponents of this movement are
the Junior Naturalists Monthly and the
Cornell Rural School Leafet, which reach
about 1000 teachers in the state during
nine months Of the year and publish the
proceedings Of all the Cornell Farm Boys
and Girls Clubs, which have an asgre-
gate membership Of about 1900.
Prixe-winning exhibits In village and
county contests are taken to the state
fairs each year. and In 1909 there were
about $50 exhibits Of corn which had won
prizes I'm local contests and other displays
OF great significance.
Nebraska Stands Second.
Nebraska IL second in the number of
clubs and in membership, having about
twenty-five thousand, the first being or
ganixed in 1905 by the state superintend-
ent Of public instruction in cooperation
with the Agricultural College OF the
State University. at Lincoln. There have
been prizes offered and won in nearly all
the counties in the eastern part of the
fall was attended by between two thou
sand and three thousand boys and girls
from the farms OF Nebraska.
Similar work has been done in Ohio
under the direction of the state univer-
sity, and in Illinois under the initiative
most extensive and successful being In
Winnebago county.
In several places In Pennsylvania and
In Virginia there have been notable con-
than a thousand boys under eighteen
years Of age are learning under
expert teachers how to increase the value
Of their time and labor and make their
land more productive. The average corn
crop of Virginia for years has been about
twenty-tw bushels to the acre. The
prize winner last year raised 122 bushels
to the acre, and his nearest competitors
raised 115. 100 and 100 bushels, respect
lively.
This indicates what might be done with
the impoverished soil of the Old Do
minion II 1t were properly cultivated, and
when you calculate the results of multi
plying the corn crop four or five fold an.
nually you can appreciate the Importance
Of the movement.
Young People Only Admitted.
THESE CLUBS are lffniteo 10 boys ana
girls under eighteen and usually under
sixteen. and are conducted in connection
with the public schools under the aus
pices of the state superintendent Of pub
tic instruction, the state board Of agrf-
culture, the state agricultural college or
societies like the Corn Growers Associa
ton Of Delaware. Their value 10 recog-
nixed by the United States Department Of
Agriculture to such degree that spe-
cial division Of the bureau OF experiment
stations has recently been created for the
purpose of encouraging and directing the
movement. It Is under the supervision
Of d. J. Crosby, who furnishes advice
and suggestions and sends out printed
bulletins showing how boys and girls
AGRICULTURAL clubs should be organized,
how prize contests in growing corn, cot
ton, potatoes. poultry and other crops
should be conducted and how the girls
should carry on their contests In bread
making, gardening. raising birds and
poultry.
These bulletins may be obtained free OF
charge upon application to any member
Of Congress or to the Secretary Of Agri-
culture.
THE value of these clubs and contests
IL not only found In awakening and slim
ulating an interest In the cultivation Of
the soil and In furnishing instruction as
10 how to get the greatest profit out OF
the toll and the soil. but they teach the
children the value Of organized effort. Of
co-operation and compromise and develop
the social instinct by bringing the neigh
bers more closely together. which 10 .