Milford chronicle., 1915-05-28
BANKS HELP BOYS.


A number of banks in the South
which have found it profitable to help
farmers introduce better stock, have
found that it is a good investment 10
lend money to the boy and girl mem
bers of the pig clubs with whlch 10
buy good young sows. This new
movement to encourage children to
take an interest in agriculture seems
to have started in Arkansas and mas
spread to other states. 1t is very
active in Georgia. where in 10 of the
IA counties in which the plg-cluD
work is now being carried on the
banks have offered to lend money TO
Junior members 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 Endorsement
of the members parent or guardian
is REQUIRED when a loan is made, in
others no security is asked. In all Of
the counties. however, each boy who
borrows 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 BrOoFs Coun-
ty. Ca. last year loaned as high as
$40 each to boys over their own s,g-
nature without security. and in only
a few instances did the borrowers ask
for an extension of time.
This movement by the banks in
stills thrift into the boys and often
starts them with bank accounts. One
bank in Macon has set aside $500 this
wear TO loan to boys who wish to pur-
rafu RnnnnflV
well-to-do farmer came into the bank
and endorsed his sons note for $40.
The cashier asked MIN why he did
it when he had such a substantial
banking account of his own in the
bank. ooh, / just did it to see how
the boy handles this obligation. If
he does not pay it | will, but it will
be worth $40 20 find out what kind of
boy | 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
boys must join the pig club and
boys must DIN jthe the pig club and
do all that is required by its rules.
This fall their hogs must be bred and
next spring two giits must be de-
livered to the owner by each boy at
weaving time. When the boys have
complied with all the requirements
the mother and the remainder of the
litter become the property of the boy
The two gifts delivered by the boy are
in turn loaned to two more boys in
the county who are required to do as
the first BOYS did The plan is now
in operation in two counties.
"The schOOlhouse pig is a new and
popular piece of extension OF pig pro
duction in Georgia. a patron of the
school gives a pig or shOat to the pu-
pills. The big boys build pen under
the shade Of some trees in the school
house grounds. The little boys go in
to 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 inter
ested. collect all the scraps from 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 the
money so obtained goes to the pur-
chase of library books or something
for the school room.
Care must be exercised that the pig
is not Overfed. At one place in GeOr-
gia he has fOundered twice in one
week. At another place the patrons
wondered what was wrong. The chill
dren came home at night hollow to
their heels and tOted away in their
diner baskets each morning enough
good food to gorge a hungry harvest
hand In time they discovered that a
pig in the pen in the school house
yard was rapidly growing as large
one way as the other.
All of the breeders who offered to
sell pure bred hogs to members last
year at $40 each have renewed their
offer for this year, and a few new
names of breeders have been added
to the list of those cooperating to
place Georgia on a pure-bred basis.
The state is developing a new stand
ard of agriculture, due largely to the
activity of the juvenile farmer. This
new agriculture spells pure bred pigs
and 100 bushels of corn to the acre.
Last year 5000 members of corn clubs
raised an average of 5S bushels OF
corn on an acre of land, while the av
erage yield of corn per acre in the
whole state was under IS bushels.
The pig club boys, in some instances,
raised pork at three cents per pound.