The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-09-13

More thai $4,000 farm boys AM
Z girls in Iowa are studying agricul
!, ture OF domestic science under tn
direction Of the extension depart
~. 1aent of the Iowa State college.
Every one of this host of youni
people. is enrolled at the college of
fees, and every one is following I
course Of study outlined for him b.
The extension faculty Of the college
Some Of these boys and girls ma.
be found in every county in the state
! Mills county leads, with an enroll
ment Of more than 900. Wright
county il = close second with about
600. Page county and others come
in after with several hundred. The
list of counties tapers off with Appa-
moose county, where there are only
two boys and girls enrolled. Appa-
moose holds the place at the tail end
because no man or woman there has
taken sufficient interest so far to
organize this educational movement
among the boys and girls and enlist
them in it.
The boys in this army of young
people are cultivating more than
r2,100 individual acre plots for
the growth Of corn for the great dis
trict and state contests which will be
ended at the short course corn show
at the state college at Ames in early
January. In eight Of the congress
fonal districts the cultivating of
these acre plots has been stimulated
by the offer Of trip to Washington
TO the boy who grows the best corn
In each district. Eight of the
congressman have made this offer
and the competition for their prize
trips promises to be keen and close.
b addition there are state prizes and
cups and medals. They are not only
for the. boys who grow champion
ship corn, but for the mothers of the
boys who. prove themselves to be
skillful in corn growing, for one
series of prizes for them starts off
with trip to Washington also.
These $4,000 boys and girls are
studying FIVE different courses under
the direction Of the college:
1. Acre corn growing contest with
mail instruction in selecting plot,
preparing seed bed, selecting and
testing seed, planting, cultivation,
weeds and insects and how to fight
them, harvesting and recording re-
suits, and preparation for contests.
e. Single ear experiment in corn
growing, with detailed instruction on
how to proceed. y
8. Vegetable gardening, with spc-
eial instruction in the growing of
popcorn and potatoes.
/. a 1. Bread baking and other uses
Of -four.
,is s. Sewing, with definite instruction
in fundamentals.
Not all the contests are for the
boys and corn growing, but there are
contests for the girls as well, with
prizes for baking and sewing.
In all the United States there can
not be found finer army of young
people than those enrolled in the
junior extension work of the state
college. They constitute the very
choicest boyhood and girlhood Of
every community in which the work
has been organized. They are keen,
bright boys and girls, eager for a
larger knowledge of farming and
home work. The work is giving them
new interest in their communities;
q social life that is wholesome .wher-
ever local clubs have been organized;
and it is making farm life more at
tractive, because it is demonstrating to
them that farming means head work
as we'll as physical effort
There are thousands of other BOYS
and girls in Iowa who would find it I
profitable to join in this great educa-
tional movement. 1t costs nothing.
except little time and thoughtful
ness. The extension department Of
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