The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-26
ENCOURAGING FARM BOYS.

| the back TO the farm" movement, or
rather stay on the farm" prOpa
ganda. 1t is the purpose of the so
ciety to be the host to one farm
1 boy for each county during the 1912
| state fair. The board managers
| have decided that in no other way
can it do greater work for the up
building of the agricultural districts
of the state than by assisting to edu.
cate deserving boys. With this end
| in view, funds have been appropri-
ated which will be. used in paying
| the railroad fare and caring for one
| boy from each county of the state
who, united, will form what will be
known as the Farm Boys State Fair
Encampment. 80. f. e. g.;
This educational plan was tried
last year by few state fair man
agements, notably by New York\and
Illinois. 1t proved immensely sue
cessful. 1t aroused unusual interest
and was pronounced by all to be a
move in the right direction. The
experience of these fairs has been
considered by the Minnesota man
ayers and with it as basis they
have worked out their own ideas and
new plan. While the rules for the
farm boys state fair encampment
have not been completed the main
features have been decided upon and
the details will be worked out in
the near future.
The committee in charge of the
encampment is made up of Director
F. w. Murphy, President G.. w. Glot-
felter, Secretary J. c.. Simpson and
Director Thomas II. Garfield. Work
ing with them is e. G. Higbie, SUI
perintendent of the agricultural
school at Morris, MINI. Mr.. Higbie
has been selected to have personal
management of the encampment Tor
the fair board and will supervise the
selection of the lucky lads and their
care and entertainment while on the
fair grounds.
The first step in carrying out the
plan will be the selecting of COM
mittee in each county who will pass
on the tests submitted and select the
boy who is to represent that county
at the state fair encampment. This
committee will consist in each coun"
ty of the county superintendent OF
schools, the chairman OF the board
of county commissioners and a third
member, to be appointed by the
h. of
membership in the encampment Will
be limited to:
First. Boys of good character
of from sixteen to nineteen years
of age.
Second. Boys living on farms
and who have desire to make
farming a life work.
Third Boys who have not
been regularly enrolled in any
special school OF agriculture, this =
does not exclude boys who have
received agricultural instruction
in regular graded or high
schools.
Fourth. Boys who will be will
ing to cooperate with the falr
MANAGEMENT to make their WISH
of value to all concerned ana 10
that end will be willing to put
themselves under the supervision
and direction of the camp man
agement.
Any boy who complies with these
qualifications can enter the compe-
tition to represent his county at the
eucampment. In order to do this he
must file an application with MS
county committee not later than
June Is.
In each county all applicants will
be asked to write an essay OF from
four to six hundred words on the
subject. "Our Farm Home" Sub
divisions under this title will be as
follows:
First. Describe the home.
Second. Why l desire to re-
main there. -''..
Third. What changes may be
made in the present system OF
carrying on this farm to insure
better financial results.
Fourth What may be done 10
make farm life more enjoyable.
These papers will be judged by
each county committee and the
writer of the one awarded hrst
prize will be selected as the BOY
who will visit the state fair at
the expense of the fair manage
ment. 1t is proposed to PROVIDE
the eighty-six visiting boys with
uniforms and furnish them with
comfortable sleeping quarters
and all they want to eat. In ad-
dition to this they will be al
lowed to see the fair and to
thoroughly study all of its fea-
lures.
After. the boys have returned home,
each one will be asked to write an
ESSAY on what he has learned al
the state fair. These will be turn
ed over to the state fair management
and passed upon by unbiased Judges.
There will be several prizes offered
for the best essays, and each OF the
winners will be presented with some
thing of practical value in the way
of farm implements or high graue
livestock. Thus the work OF encour-
aging boys to remain on the farm