The Ordway new era., 1910-06-24

late, and the movement IL nnding
support from every source, the most
important and powerful. possibly, be-
ing that OF the United States govern
menL through the agricultural de-
partment.
While the exact reasons cannot be
clearly stated as how the agricultural
department took the steps that 1t did
to interest the coming generation In
farming, 1t Is reasonable tO, believe
that the congestcd conditions Of the
cities and the sociological reasons
caused the government to devise ways
and means OF overcoming the desire
of the farmers child of wishing to
get to the city, when the cities were
crowded and the farms were not pro.
ducing as much as they should to
keep abreast with the ever Increasing
population and demand In the coun-
try.
The one reasonable remedy was 10
interesting the children in farming,
and show them that farming was and
would continue to be more and more
OF a study, a business aud not a adrudg-
cry, as was commonly charged 1t.
The plan OF organizing Boys aud
Girls clubs In the rural districts Of
the country followed and while COM
paratively new plan, has already been
the direct source OF not only Interest,"
ing thousands and thousands Of
younger farmers-prOducers to be-
but has been the direct means Of In
creasing to wonderful extent the
yields of sections OF the country. In
some instances. traced direct to the
younger generation OF coming farm.
eIs. the corn yield Of a state has been
almost doubled.
In the East and Middle West the
interest is even more pronounced aud
the work more active than In the
Western states, although at the pres
ent time the different AGRICULTURAL
schools and educational institutions
are taking great interest in the for
nation of Boys and Girls Agricultur-
al clubs that the business OF farming
may be taught them from observation
while they are studying other branch
es OF education, and in that way in.
tcrcsJ them in the possibilities OF
farming and keep them interested in
the farm. The results are more than
gratifying.
In New York State directed from
the College at Cornell, there are $1,000
boys and girls taking an active inter.
est in the problems of better farming.
and studying through their clubs.
ways of increasing yields. Each one
of those children Is doubtless growing
Il plot OF grnund to try out the var-
Gus theories advanced.
In Iowa alone, the corn crop has
been wonderfully increased from the
better quality of the seed used. and
the benefit was directly traced to 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
but merely from the practice side of
it. that in years to come they will be
better fitted to handle the farms now
being run by their fathers. The feel.
ing of the children could not but help
the elder farm owners and the good
was at once apparent. The children
talked about their seed
corn. and were cverlastingly interest
ed in their own small patches, where
they were striving for prizes. The
parents took hold of the plan and en-
them, and the good OF the
movement had been accomplished.
AS a result, Iowa has increased the
corn crop, increased the quality Of the
land, but no more land has been put
into corn than was planted before the
times of more careful attention to
seed corn and ground rotation. 1t
took the children to actually take the
time and trouble and show the in
terest 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 that
has developed from Il few pet ears,
bred and grown by the young lad.
In the Western states the corn side
of it has not the interest to the young
farmers as has other crops. Small
grains and other crops are being
taken up through the various agricul-
tural schools, and the West should
feel the benefits, as have the Eastern
and Middle Western states.
The farmers organizations, fair as
and other bodies have seen
the wonderful value of Interesting
the boys and girls in farming, by ap-