The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-03-01
BOYS COTTON CLUBS
Principal Crop Grown by Farm
ers in the South.
Education Of Youth Will Be Far From
Complete Unless He Has Made
Study of Wonderful Plant
Objects of York.
,Bv BRADFORD KNAPP.)

In most of the territory now COW
cred BY the Farmers Cooperative
Demonstration Work, cotton is the
principal crop grown by the farmers.
The education of a southern boy Will
be far from complete unless he mas
made a study of this wonderful plant
which does so much to clothe the
world. and which in recent years IS
becoming important as a source or OIL
and feed. Sufficient Investigations
have been made n trials had to
convince us that there is a need and
demand for cotton clubs.
The objects OF the Boys Demonstra-
ton Work are: First. to afford the
rural teacher a simple and easy meth
cd of teaching practical agriculture IN
the schools in the way 1t must be &C
Guifed TO be of any real service, name
~. by cctual work upon the farm.
Second. TO prove that there is more in
the soil than the farmer has ever got
ten out of it; to inspire boys with a
love of the land by showing how they
can get wealth out of it by tiilng It
in a better way and thus be helpful
to the family and the neighborhood.
Third, to give the boys a definite.
worthy purpose and to stimulate a
friendly rivalry among them.
These objects were stated in the
beginning, and the boys corn clubs
fganiZed in pursuance thereof, open
ed the eyes of the south to its posi-
bilities in the production of corn and
have stimulated an interest in agricul-
ture and especially in the produc-
ton OF home supplies. Practical les
sons like the lessons in any system
of education must be progressive.
Hence We believe the time has ar
rived when a few of the best OF the
corn club boys can progress from corn
production to cotton production and
thus widen their useful knowledge and
at the same time give hem a basis
for Il thorough system of modern ag-
riculture. The lessons Of
ton, seed selection. and intensive cul
~tivation will be continued as applied OF
cotton and in boil weevil sections
they will be shown the departments
method of raising cotton under boil
weevil conditions. AS in the case of
the boys corn clubs, where the work
Is being organized the county superin-
,endent of education and teachers, can
pest reach the boys in all sections of
the country and thus can the teacher
best be able to maintain interest in
things of the farm and the boys to
acquire valuable knowledge. The les
sons Of diyersification will be made
----~ II will fhnS hoonn,e ~
easv matter to impress the members
of the clubs with practical and econo-
mic principles Of farming such as
abandonment of the system of raising
ALI cotton and the using of more acres
for food crops, more for soil improving
crops and relatively less for cotton in
each general farm plan. The advent
of the boil weevil makes such a sys-
tenn imperative.
No better agency can be found to
teach these great lessons than the
energetic. persevering southern boys
who have made such a great success
in the corn clubs. Nor is it proposed
that interest in the corr clubs shall
be allowed to decrease. It is sug.
rested that the cotton clubs be organ
lied as an advanced class. The boy
who has made a study of corn for one.
two, or three years Is far more COM
petent to take up the more complicat-
ed study Of cotton. 1t is recommend
ed therefore that boys entering our
clubs for the first time be urged to
loin the ORR clubs and that the cot
ton clubs be organized. so far as pos
sible. from among the membership of
the corr clubs. 1t will be all right.
especially for the larger boys. to con-
tinue the corn work and at the same
time take up the cotton.
The members Of the cotton clubs
will be expected to work at least two
acres. Thus practically every boy
viii grow enough seed cotton to make
. bale. The boy is advancing in this
work and is more capable Of handling
4 larger amount OF land. Likewise
he must have enough cotton 50 that 1t
can be ginncd separately and two
.acrss Is emphasized as the basis for
the work. This plan WIN also have =