The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-19
SUPERIOR WORK:
SELF-R ELIANCE
Great Scheme for Making Coun-
try Girls of the Old Dominion
Grand Women With an
Abundance Of independence
and Business Ability.
Splendid Results.
ny MISS ELLA q. AGNEw.
state Agent.

~" 'Hc coming OF spring all folkS
interested In farming and gardening
are waking up anew to the possibili
ties Of work at home FOR girls. as well
as boys. and many people arc being in
ter"sted in the reorgonizinE OF the
GIFTS Canning Club.
country agent riding through the
back country. over almost impa s. ible
roads, came TO an humble little home
one she knew well. one OF a number in
that community needing the Cauninl;
tlub. and the only one where a Ggtyu-
Ter WAS found last sulnmer willing TO
Undertake Z. Arriving III out noon snS
rode across an old tobacco !o:, through
the barn yard and so came =. The back
of the house. whcro under hastily
Suilt shanty tu" mother WAC rIcp.r;ay
IL frugal noonday meal. Til. tatnc,
was going al .ad of he's from tEc ba,u.
where he had been feeding the stock.
The WORKER greeted them with Dleas-
ant good morning. and sked II their
daughter would Join tho club for a
second year The father who had
laughed at 1t all the year before. an.
h"ered promptly: our daughter joln.
why have four ready for work. Last
year | felt IKE an old man. with this
poor house, YOU know IL is not a Mt
place for my family. ana all my chill
drcn leaving az soon as they are old
enough. But last summer everybody.
grow interested in home. and this year
four daughters. ten, twelve. fourteen
aud sixteen years. will join. and we
are all. boys and girls together. going
TO build new house. My girl join
tho club. reckon she viii. Mother
and are growing young again now
What the Canning Clubs Are.
MANI fathers feel the same way
about this work. And many people are
wondering now. What is this Canning
club"
i, IL young movement, only little
over year old. An outcome OF the
Boys Corn Club DR.. Knapp realized
from the beginning OF the demonstra-
ton work that Il would be incomplete
unless IT reached down to the founda :
ton OF things and builded on n broad,
firm basis The foundation of our ma :
,Ional lie is the home. any work hop
Ing TO bencht mankind must take into
consideration that important unit OF
our national life.
Tho broad acres may Yield tons OF
hay, hundreds OF bushels OF corn and
cattle may be upon a thousand hills.
but the life on those farms ca never be
happy and contcnted unles. the home
has the proper attention. And so the
Girls Canning Club came into exist
ence in ORDER TO interest the girls in
vhntage OF opportunities lying at their
doors, TO make their gardens and poul-
try yard Yield 10 them that living
many had been going to the far off
or ncarpy-c!ty. hoping TO make.
Systematic Business Methods.
The rules and regulations are few.
Zach girl promises to take one-tcnth
OF an acre, and aftSr the first heavy
work IS done for her and the plat Is
IN ha r,la 81 MI a. .
Of the work herself She Will keep a
strict account OF all the time she or
any one else spends in the garden,
charging up that time at 10 cents per
hour. She will also keep account of
all fertilizer or any other expense in
connection with the work. that she
may be able to estimate her net gain
at the end of the year.
She promises TO follow directions as
given her from Washington or
through the country agent. She
promises TO send in a report OF the
work at the end of the year When
vegetables are ripe and ready for can
ming the country worker takes a port
able canning outfit on the back of a
buggy and goes from one community
10 the other. teaching the latest and
most scientific methods of canning, not
only tomatoes but vegetables and
>
provided for. Then the tin cans are
bought. and canning club labels and
work is commenced for the markets
Then the interest and enthusiasm
grows by leaps and bounds. and each
etoreroom begins to look like a
small size grocery store.
Personal Responsibility.
These goods this year will be ex-
hibited at Roanoke. Petersburg and
irb fa IRE fc
cured. OF course. the girls who pro-
vides her own market and sells at re-
tail. realizes much more money from
her plat. MS well as provides n perman-
ent market for her goods; that is. she
Will do so If she does good work
Each girl knows her work can be
traced back to her. and thus she Is
reused to her personal responsibility
each can bears name of county club
and member In this way, even though
the cans be sold in Texas, 1T can he
traced to the little girl in the remote
district of Virginia, who put 1t up. This
lesson in individual responsibility and
team work" is fine one to teach the
girls while they are young that they
may be ready to take their places In
community life as they grow older.
State and Some Counties Aroused.
Last year, our first year of real
work in the State. was one of the
hardest. so far as the weather is con.
cerned, that the girls could have had
The loEg drought which lasted most OF
tho summer threatened to ruin the EN-.
tire crop. In spite of this, many OF
the girls were faithful to the end and
made fine display OF work at the
State Fair in Richmond last October
AS a direct result of this exhibit we
found the State Legislature ready to