Cañon City record., 1910-06-30
BOYS AND GIRLS
AGRICULTURAL CLUBS

and greater number in towns de-
pending upon farming communities
for support. In April the Colorado
organization of Boys and Girls Agri-
cultural clubs with the object of in
teresting them in studying plant and
animal life, and in competing in
school district, county and state con-
tests for exhibits of farm crops.
The Agricultural College will take
up this work in each county, where
the county superintendent is willing
to help. Potatoes and sugar beets will
be studied this year, in irrigated sec
tions, and milo in dry land sections
on the plains. Next year it is plan
ned to add study of grains. alfal-
ia and fruit, and the third year, the
feeding and judging of stock
For the girls, we plan next year to
add bread making and sewing. and
the third year, fruit canning. jelly
making and needle work. This year
we want both girls and boys to help
us study the growth of potatoes, su-
gar beets, and milo and to compete
for prizes for the best exhibits of
these crops.
Our plan is to organize a Boys
and Girls club in any school district
where the farmers and the business
men will offer $40 in prizes for any
one of these crops; first prize of
So. a second prize of 80 and five
prizes of 81 each, making seven
prizes for each crop in a school dis
trict.
The college furnishes plans for the
work and constitution for the club.
The children elect their own Of
jngs. The teacher acts as librarian.
securing bulletins for each pupil,
free from the Colorado Experiment
Station and from the U. S. Depart
ment of Agricultural. The club elects
some successful farmer in the neigh
borhood, preferably member of the
school board, as counsel to advise
with the children, particularly dur
ing the summer vacation.
The Agricultural College furnishes
free to club members illustrated
pamphlets, showing ideal potatoes.
sugar beets, and milo heads, and in
formation in regard to the prepara-
ton of the soil, selection of seed
testing of seed, planting, cultivation,
harvesting and selection of samples
far axhflfffor
the college will send query that
can be answered only by investiga-
ton OF the growing crop.
In the fall a harvest meeting is to
be held in each school house, attend
ed by all the men. women and chill
dren in the district, with basket
dinner at noon. The boys and girls
will exhibit their crops and the seven
prizes will be awarded.
The county superintendent should
then hold a county Boys and Girls
institute at the county seat The
Agricultural College will sent two
or more speakers to this county
meeting, who will speak and also
Judge the exhibits, which should con-
sist of the best products from all
the prize winners of the school dis
tricts.
Mrs. Katherine N. Cook. state su-
perintendent Of public instruction in
cooperation with the Agricultural
College, will hold a great State Boys
and Girls Institute in Denver during
Over 1000 teachers will study the
exhibit at this state meeting in which
An the prize winners from all the
co1nties will contest Business men
Of Denver will be asked to contrib
ute prizes for this state meeting.
These Boys and Girls clubs will
create an intense interest among the
school children of the state in the
wonderful factors in plant and ami
NAL life. II will be foand that the
interest in studing and handling
the regular school studies and the
growing things will be carried to
teachers will find that greater inter-
est in all studies will be shown oy
club members.
The interest Of the children in the
study of growing things. and in their
school work, will create an interest
In the schools on the part Of parents
such as they have never shown be-
fore.
With this army OF bright enthus-
iastic young people studying to pro-
duce the choicest forms In field crops
a tremendous force will be exerted