Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1915-05-23
BANKS HELP BOYS
 AND GIRLS PROFIT
Southern Business Men Aid
 ing Children to Buy Pure Bred Pigs and Chickens.

number of banks in the South which have found il profitable to help farmers introduce better stock have found that it is a good investment to lend money 10 the boy and girl members of the pig clubs with which to buy good young soWs. This new movement to encourage children to | take an interest in agriculture seems i to have started in Arkansas and has | spread to other states, says the | Weekly News Letter of the federal | department of agriculture. t is very ! active in Georgia, where in 10 of the IA counties in which the pig-club work is now being carried on the banks have offered to lend money to junior member for the purchase of pure-bred pigs. In other counties wealthy residents, seeing the advan- tage of the plan, are also assisting the children with loans.
 In some instances the indorsement of members parent or guardian is required when loan is made. in oth
 CTS no security is asked. Tn all of the counties, however, each boy who bor
 rows is required to grow one acre of corn so as to have abundant feed, have some corn to sell, and pay off his obligations. A bank in Brooks coun- ty. Ga. last year loaned as high as $10 each to boys over their own sigma ture without security and in only a few instances did the borrowers ask for an extension of time.
 This movement by the banks instills thrift into the boys and often starts them with bank accounts. One bank in Macon has set aside $500 this year to loan to boys who wish to purchase pure bred pigs. Recently well ?to
 do farmer came into the bank and in dorsed his sons note for $10. The cashier asked him why he did it when he had substantial checking account of his own in the bank "Oh. i just
 wanted to see how the boy handles this obligation If he does not pay it. ] will, but it will be worth $10 to me to know what kind of boy I have" replied the farmer. An. Endless Chain of Pigs.
 In one county a wealthy man want ed to do something for the worthy poor boys, so he bought pure-bred gilts and loaned them to- 20 boys. These boys must join the pig club and do all that is required by it's rules. This fall their hogs must be l bred and next spring two gilts must | be delivered to the owner by each boy at weaning time. When the boys have complied with all the requirements the mother and remainder of the lit ter become the property of the boy. The two gilts delivered by the boys are in turn loaned to two more boys l in the county who are required to do as the first boys did. This plan is now in operation in two counties. | ''The schoolhouse pig" is new
 and popular phase of extension of pig production in Georgia. A patron
 of the school gives shoat or pig to the pupils. The big boys build a pen
 under the shade of some trees on the schoolhouse grounds The little boys
 go into the woods and collect pine
 needles and make the bed. Others
 build a shelter over the corner of
 the pen and construct a feed trough.
 The girls, for surely the girls are interested. collect all the scraps from l the lunch baskets at noon and feed
 them to the pig. The pupils also
 bring to school, occasionally an ear of corn for their pet pig. On Saturdays
 and Sundays a boy living near the
 school does the feeding. Some of the
 schools barbecue the pig at the end
 of the year, others hold an auction,
 and with the money buy library books
 or something for the schoolroom.
 Care must be exercised that the pig
 is not overfed. At one place in
 Georgia he was foundered twice in
 one week. At another shcool the
 patrons wondered what was wrong.