The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-29
GIRLS CANNING
CLUB MOVEMENT
Description OF WORK PROMOT-
ED JOINTLY BIZ GOVERNMENT
AND EDUCATION BOARD.

Agriculture and the General Educa-
ton Board, are detailed in an INSTALL
ment. made public today, of the forth
coming report of the General Educa
ton Board. The report says, in part:
The demonstration work, wrote
| DIR. Knapp, in his report under date
October, 1910, has proven that it is
possible to reform by simple means
the economic life and the personality
of the farmer on his farm. The Boys
Corn Clubs have likewise shown how
to turn the attention of the boy toward
the farm. There remains the home
iitself-and it's women and girls.
This problem cannot be APP
preached directly. The reformer who
tells the farmer and his wife that their
entire home system is wrong will meet
with failure. With these facts in view.
/ have begun a work among girls to
teach one simple and straightforward
lesson which will open their eyes to
the possibilities of adding to the
family income through simple work
in and about the home.
Something of the kind had indeed
! already started near Aiken. S. C.
where Miss Marie Cromer had pur-
chased a canning outfit and organized
some canning clubs among the girls
of the vicinity, tomatoes having been
chosen as the most available garden
vegetable.
DIR. Knapp's Vision.
"Once more DIR. Knapp seized upon
an idea and in vision saw It encom-
passing the entire South He saw in
1t means of importing a new inter-
est into the home, OF bringing about
Incorporation In domestic tasks be-
tween mother and daughter, OF en-
coura ging rural families to provide
better food at lower cost by utilizing
No r1 "a of
viding girls a way of earning money.
OF furnishing teachers method of
helping entire communities.
The method is simple: Each girl
takes ne-tenth OF an acre and la
taught how to select the seed. to plant,
cultivate and perfect the growth Of
1.-The tomato plant Meantime portable
canning outfits have been provided. to
be set up out of doors--in the orchard
or the garden--and trained teachers OF
domestic science instruct the local
teachers in the best methods.
When the tomatoes are ripe the
girls come together, now at one home,
now at another. to can the product.
lit is done N the most up-to-dat
fashion. The girls are taught the
necessity of scrupulous cleanliness:
they steriize utensils and cans, seal
and label, and indeed manufacture an
easily marketable product.
Three hundred and twenty-five
girls were registered the first year:
8, 900 the next: 1850 in the year fol-
lowing; In 1913 there were upward OF
80. 900 in fourteen different States.
Expenses Borne by Board.
THE entire expense of the Girls
Canning Club work has at all times
been borne by the General Education
Board. except for local contributions.
In 1911 an initial appropriation of So
900 was made: $4,000 the following
year; in May. 1918. the appropriation
Of the board for this purpose was
S75,0 900.
Though the National Government
Through the Department of Agricul-
Iture has had entire control and sup
eryision, II has borne no part of the
expense. The States in which the
work Is now going forward on this
basis are Maryland. Virginia. West
Virginia, North Carolina. South caro-
lima, Georgia Florida. Alabama,
Mississippi Kentucky, Tennessee.
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Average Profits Earned.
",rhe average profit made by girls
reporting in twelve States was sci IS;
but not few made sums far in excess.
A Macon County, Mississippi. girl
realized net profit just under $loO
on her $50 cans of tomatoes: neigh
herself Of $77.73; a girl living in Aiken
County, s. c., Melted $60.5l. The ac-
counts are carefully kept. They reckon
rent, cost of preparing and cultivating
the soil. fertilizer. cans. labels. labor
vegetables sold, vegetables used fresh
for home consumption. etc.
The imponderable indirect gains
are certainly not less important. Can
ming Club day is a social occasion
Mother prepares something little
extra for luncheon. and asks the aid
and instruction Of the teacher in
charge OF the Canning Club The
home Is 'tidied up tables are properly
set out and decorated, bouquets of wild
flowers appear here and there about
the rooms. The boys come; mothers
and fathers come; the neighborhood
lis there!
THUS social interest Is kindled
about the doing OF something worth
while. There follows spirit or
mutual helpfulness, mutual concern
mutual affection. This sort OF thing
llays the foundation for cooperation
lin larger and more important thing
lin the church. in the school, in
charities. In business.