The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-05-23

take this man Smith and you look
him over. There are about six feet
of him, 1.-THE, lean and amiable, with
pepper -and salt hair and large blue,
thoughtful eyes that laugh easily. His
features are prominent but regular,
suggesting good blood and calm kind
of strength, coupled with rare tenacity
of purpose.
They dote on Smith down there. In
the first place, they love him. In the
second place, he is an asset. He is
making the state rich. Do you think
Oklahoma would give UP her oil fields
Or Missouri her lead mines? Certain
mot! And neither would Mississippi
give up her "Corn Club" Smith.
After fifteen years as principal of
various high schools, with his misgiv-
ings growing taller than ever, Smith
was called UP higher and became
superintendent Of schools for Holmes
county
For ten years Professor Smith had
been coming to the position that 1t
was the duty of the public school
system Of Mississippi to teach the
children Of Mississippi how to make a
living out of the soil of mississippi
to- teach the boys how to produce
more cotton and more corn and bet
ter pigs and cattle; to teach the girls
how to sew and bake bread and raise
chickens and make clothes-to make
the public school system serviceable
to the common people in the very
things which the common people need
ed most.
And now, all in a flash, while lie
looked sat DR.. Knapp's demonstration
plot, he had seen how to do it--how to
lay hold upon the great stores Of
knowledge Of plant growth being gath
cred and disseminated by the, agri-
cultural department of Washington
and the various colleges devoted to
such studies, and filter this through
the rural schools directly into the
minds of the boys and girls them
selves, in the form of practical, usable
instructions Immediately applicable
to life conditions
Professor Smith decided to start
with one staple-corn. That autumn
instructions went to every teacher in
Holmes county to announce that a
County Corn club was to be organized
to teach the boys how to grow corn.
The plan was this: each boy who
would join the club must agree to take
an acre of ground, prepare the soil
and select his seed according to in
structions, plant it and cultivate it
right through the harvest, keeping a
careful record of all his operations,
including the yields, figures for which
were to be duly attested by reputable
persons. At the end Of the year there
was to be an exhibition and the
awarding of prizes. There was also to
be a girls club with instructions in
cooking, sewing, and other important
domestic accomplishments. The idea
took like vaccine, and the first meet
ing of the clubs was held in thirty
days at the courthouse, with ESQ boys
and 200 girls attending.
The Leaven Works.
Representatives Of the agricultural
colleges and industrial institutions
were there to talk to these young club
members on the work they were
undertaking. Afterward from time to
time, these instructions were followed
up with bulletins and literature OF
various kinds from the state institu-
tions and the department of agricul
ture at Washington. These went out
to the teachers in the schools scattered
over the county, and were by them
carefully conned, after which the in
formation was passed on to the
students. Sometimes there would only
he one club member in q school, and
sometimes fifteen or twenty; but the
teacher with more or less enthusiasm,
gave the instruction so that all had a
chance to absorb it if they would.
OF course there was opposition. One
old farmer exclaimed scornfully:
What You propose to teach our
boys how to farm? I can teach my
boy more farming in day than you
can in month"
Never Too Old to Learn.
At the close of the first year, this
farmer came with his exhibit Of corn,
nd or IA inpp II n
be judged, to show that the corn club
boys didn't know how to grow corn.
When the figures were all in, it ap-
peared that one boy had produced 125
bushels on a single acre, and the old
fellows jaw dropped. He made some
inquiry of the successful boys father,
and the next spring himself started a
demonstration plot. At the second an
nuai exhibit he was present and asked
permission to make talk.
Boys he said, 81 have thrown
away forty years of my life. You have
taught me that there is no need to
work a whole county to make corn
enough to feed two mules and make
bread for a family. If you will just
give me a little time ! think l can
make on five acres what have been
making on twenty, and can turn the
balance of my land into meadows and
8
The first corn club exhibit held in
Lexington, the county seat of Holmes
county, attracted great attention.
The town was crowded The results
seemed marvellous. Grizzled old farm
ers walked about lingering the exhib-
it's, asking questions, listening with
mouths agape-sometimes shaking
stubborn heads, sometimes stroking
gray boards thoughtfully. No one was
happier than the merchants who had
been induced to offer the prizes for
which the boys contested. They saw
the prospect for sudden increase in
crop values and they knew what it
meant more money for the farmers,
therefore more comforts and some
lllxuries, all of which meant more
trade for themselves who must ship
the Increased product out and the in
creased consumption in, taking a profit
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