Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-06-17

BOYS and GIRLS
C L u B S
By WILL WRIGHT
IN RANCH AND RANGE

The "keep the boy on the farm" idea |
seems to be spreading rapidly Of late. |
and the movement is finding support
from every source. the most important
and powerful possibly. being that of the
United States government through its
agricultural department.
While the exact reasons cannot be
clearly stated as how the agricultural
department took the steps that it did to
interest the coming generation in farm
ing, it is reasonable to believe that the
congested condition of the cities and the
sociological reasons caused the govern
ment to devise ways and means OF
overcoming the desire of a farmers
child of wishing to get to the city, when
tho cities were crowded and the farms
were not producing as much as they
should to keep abreast with the ever
increasing population and demand in the
country.
The one reasonable remedy was in
terssting the children in farming and
showing them that farming was and
would continue to be more and more Of
study. business and not drudgery. as
was commonly charged it.
The plan OF organizing boys and girls
clubs in the rural districts followed. and
while a comparatively new plan has
already been the direct source of not
only interesting thousands and thousands
OF younger farmers-produeers to be-
but has been the direct means Of increas-
ing to a wonderful extent the yield Of
sections Of the country. In some in
stances traced direct to the interest OF
the younger generation Of coming farm
ers. the corn yield Of state has been
nearly doubled.
In the east and middle west the in
terest has been even more pronounced
and work more active than in the west
ern states. although at the present time
4 the different agricultural schools and
educational institutions are taking great
interest in the formation Of boys and
girls agricultural elu Is. that the business
Of farming may 90 taught them from OBJ
servation while they are studying other
branches Of education. and in that way
interest them in the possibilities Of farm
ing and keep them interested in the
farm. The results are more than grati-
flying.
In New York state. directed from the
college Of agriculture at Cornell. there
are $4,000 boys and girls taking an
active interest in the problem Of better
farming and studying through their clubs
ways Of increasing yields. Each one OF
those children is doubtless growing plat
Of ground to try out the various theories
advanced.
! In Iowa alone the corn crop has been
wonderfully increased. from the better
quality of the seed used. and the benefit
is directly traced 10 the interest Of the
children and younger farmers Of the
state, who have taken up the question Of
seed termination and breeding. not from
the science Of It, but merely from the
practical side Of it, that in years To come
they will be better fitted to handle the
farms now run by their fathers. The
feeling Of the children could but help the
elder farm owners and the good was at
once apparent. The children continually
talked about their seed corn. and were
everlastingly interested in their own
small patches. where they were striving
for prizes. The parents took hold Of
the plan and encouraged them. and the
! good Of the movement had been accom-
plished. As a result Iowa has increase
the corn crop. increased the quality Of
the land. but no more land has been put
into corn than was planted before more
careful attention had been paid to seed
corn and ground rotation. 1t took the
children to actually take the time and
trouble and show the interest to prove It.
After it had been proved the farmers,were
only too quick to take advantage Of what
had been developed. Many are the acres
today planted in Iowa to corn from seed
that has developed from few pet ears.
bred and grown by the young farmer
/ lad.
In the western states the corn side Of
it has not the interest to the young
farmer as has other crops. Small grains
and other crops are being taken up
through the various agrieultuia al schools.
and the west should feel the benefits. as
have the eastern and middle western
states.
The farmers organizations. fair asso-
Citations and other bodies have seen the
won derful value Of interesting the boy
and girl in farming. by appealing to their
esire of exeelliag. and not to the money
side OF it altogether. that they have fos-
tered the movement. and It is an un-
common fair. whether it be state or
county, that has not prizes for agrieul-
tural exhibits raised by children.
And some OF the exhibits are remarkable
and show the clear understanding Of the
finer and scientific sides Of farming that
the past and present generation Of farm
ers is not as sure Of as he would be II he
had the chance Of studying under the
direction Of the government, as have his
children at the present time.
Particularly in the western and irri-
II L..