Milford chronicle., 1911-07-07
TO INTEREST THE
BOYS In THE FARM
A New State Project Inaugurated
at the Experiment Station.
ON PRACTICAL LINES.
A State Appropriation for the Purpose
Now Available.

How to keep their boys home
after they have reached their ma
jority and get them interested in the
farm work is a problem that has
caused the farmers of Delaware
much worry for many years. The
problem has grown more serious
year after year, until is has resulted
in a scarcity Of farm labor that has
greatly handicapped the grangers
during the busy seasons. The in
clination of the farmers sons to go
to the cities as soon as they are tree
and in many cases long before they
reached 2I years Of age, where they
think that success and advancement
are more quickly obtained, is the
temptation that has to be overcome.
Prof. Harry Hayward, director
Of the State Experiment Farm, has
worked out a plan under the Agri-
cultural Extension bill, passed by
the recent General Assembly, by
which he hopes to interest the boys
more in scientific farm work and
thereby keep many Of them Ifrom
migrating to the cities. This bill
went into effect on Saturday, July
Ist, when 81 500 was available and
81, 500 additional will be available
under the bill July Ist, of next
year. This work is really an ex-
pertinent and if it proves as sue
cessful as Representative Johnson,
father of the bill, Prof. Hayward
and others anticipate, the next Leg
islature will no doubt make a per
manent and larger appropriation to
carry on the work.
Under the extension work Prof. |
Hayward and his assistants will
organize boys agricultural clubs,
throughout the State. The idea is
to get the young boys, as soon as
they leave the public schools, |
thoroughly interested in advanced |
farm work. In addition to the
clubs, there will also be started |
movable schools, especially in the
fruit belt, to teach the proper way
of packing box apples, &c, which
will increase the value of the fruit |
in the city markets. Another part
of the general plan being worked
out by the director Of the State farm
is to have "boys day" at the
College Farm next September. This
will be similar to the annual
farmers day, except that it will
probably be limited 10 boys under
20 years of age. They will spend
the day, studing farm crops, live
stock and modern equipment. A
worker with boys will \
be engaged to address them.
In addition to this part of the
work to interest the boys, the real
of the extension plan is to
carry the the latest finding Of both
theory and practice direct to the
farmers ofthe State and apply them
to his own conditions Some of
the extension work has really
started with the distribution OF soy
beans by Prof. GTantham, the
lgronomist, at the experiment
station. Plans are also being made
20 do much cooperative work with
alfalfa and probably with wheat and
,orn. To help Prot. Grantham in
his work the trustees will engage
IN assistant agronomist. Prof. Nc
Cue, the horticultuTist will do much
cooperative work under the bill in
he line of a study of fertilizer re-
luirments for strawberry plants,
potatoes and tomatoes and the care
# orchards. I
Prof. Hayward, in discussing the
lew work, started that the creating
# division of agricultural extern
ion, in his opinion is one of
he greatest steps forward in the
development of agricultural re-
ources that the State has ever
AIKEN. The work is carried on to
large extent and with much sue
ess in the middle west.