The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-05-07
GIRLS ALLOWED TO
ENTER FARMING
COMPETITION
Can Go On Same Basis as The
Boys
INTEREST SHOULD INCREASE
Only Eighteen Boys Have Entered
the contests-Heid Back by
Their Pare~ts

Editor OF The Banner:-About
three weeks ago IL was announced
through your columns that the Boys
club work would be continued this
yea and that Il was hoped TO secure
a, least one hundred boys in the coun
Is who would each agree 10 grow one
eighth OF an acre OF potatoes or one
half acre OF corn. In response TO this
notice and other means of interesting
the boys. Just Is boys from different
parts OF the county have. indicated
their willingness 10 ente- the con-
tests. This is not good showing. In
other localities there are over $4,000
boys engaged in this work. taking
the United States as whole.
This lack OF interest in Bennington
county cannot be laid entirely TO the
boys. In several instances have found
boys very much interested and Gag
er TO join the work. but their pa ents
were opposed. Most OF these consid
cred tho work a good one. but their
objection was that the boy would
start the work and fail 10 complete
il, leaving that for some one else 10
do, probably the overworked father.
! realize this is apparently a strong
argument, but il loses its effect when
we study the subject more carefully.
In the first place. from records of
the United States Department of Ag-
rlcdlture at Washington, 1t is shown
that a very small number Of boys
drop out OF the work as the season
advances. In no case has this gone
over seven percent. not a very appre-
ciable amount. OF course. this varies
in different localities. but believe
Bennington county boys possess as
much grit" as the boys of other sec
tions, so that this figure would hold
here. In the second place. one of the
important objects of this club work
is to develop within the boy spirit
of perseverance by showing labor
Perhaps not evoy boy will carry
through the work the first year, but
when fall comes and the negligent
one sees the result OF comrades di-
ligence, he will resolve to work hard
err next time. Think of the effect of
this on the boys later life
might go on with this argument
for some little time, but a word is sui
ficient believe | sincerely hope thu
parents OF boys who are interested in
the Boys Corn and Potato club work
will allow them to enter the contest
and encourage them in their under
taking as well. Giving the boy a
chance influences directly the kind of
man he will be.
A matter of interest in connection
with the club work has recently been
brought to my attention. In few To-
calities the girls have become quite
| interested in the Boys Potato club
and have evinced desire to enter
this work. These girls agree to do
as much work as the boys, If allowed
to join the contest, and because of
their enterprise have given them
the privilege of entering on the same
basis as the boys. which means that
under the same conditions they are
| eligible to the same premiums as are
the boys. Here is a small object les
son for the boys of the county las
well as to some of their parents)
Certainly the boys should show the
same amount of enterprise as do
| their sisters.
John l.. Sherman,
Agent, U. S. Dept of Ayr.
| Manchester Center, VT.