The Republican journal., 1916-01-06
Boys and Girls at Urono.

Nearly $50 members of the Boys and
Girls Agricultural clubs of Maine at
tended the annual meeting and State
contest at the University of Maine.
Wednesday evening, Dec. 23d. there was
an informal reception and banquet in the
gymnasium. and a merry hour of crop
talks and "reminiscences of the seaso Is,
contests, efforts, failures and successes.
Thursday morning there was pig judg-
ing demonstration for the boys, given by
Prof. L. S. Corbett, head of the Animal
Industry department, and at the same
hour, under the direction of Miss Catha-
rine N. Platts, extension representative
in Home Economics, the girls of the
clubs were given demonstration in pre-
pairing and serving breakfast. At 9
O'Clock, Clarence A. Day, Washington
county director of Farm Demonstration
work, gave talk on potato growing in
Maine. At 10 o'clock Prof. George E..
Simmons, head of the department Of Ag.
ronomy, talked on Sweet Corn. At II
in Home Economics, ave a demonstra-
ton for the girls in judging canned pro-
ducts, and VIM. C. Monahan, who as in
structor in Poultry Husbandry, has won
name for himself among poultrymen in
| Maine, gave Poultry Judging Demon
stration. Following lunch in the gym
nasium and tour of the campus, Hon.
Charles S. Hichborn, president of the
First National bank of Augusta, spoke
on the Bank and the Prospective Farm
err. Mr.. Hichborn spoke briefly, but to
the point. He said he thought boys and
girls would not certainly desire to listen
to banking for an hour, but he told
them something of banking some
thing Of farming and something of
the relations which can and should exist
between the two, and ne was heard with
interest and pleasure. At 8 o'clock
Arthur A. Head, layman secretary of
the Y. M. c. A., told the members of
the clubs something of what the Y. M.
c. A. is doing for the young people of
the farms of Maine, what it has done,
what it is willing and glad to do, of the
work in the past. results accomplished,
and plans and hopes for the future.
After banquet in Hannibal Hamlin
hall, Hon. P yson M. Smith, State sup
erintendent of schools, gave an address,
followed by the reading of prize essays
and awarding of diplomas.
The essays are those which won prizes
at local contests and are: Boys Potato
Club, Essay on Growing the Crop. by
Harrison Blackstone of Washburn, LIST;
Albert R. Lincoln OF Dennysvllle, I'd;
Boys and Girls Poultry Clubs, Milton
McEwen of Bowdoinham, LIST; Dorothy
Shackford of Ellsworth, I'd; Girls Can
ming Clubs. Emily Morse of Cherryfeld,
1st; Dorothy Shackford of Ellsworth, I'd.
Among those registered up to Thurs
day noon were Fred Mckinley of Jack
son and Raymond Hall of Brooks. The
local leaders for Waldo county are F. E.
Fortier, Freedom; Robert M. Stiles,
Jackson; Supt. Ray Robinson, Winter
port.
The 80 Maine boys and girls and IL To-
cal leaders who attended these meetings
carried back to their homes prizes /
amounting to $500, offered by the Maine
Central railroad to boys and girls COM
ing from points on that line.
Four kinds of clubs are working in the
potato clubs, boys poultry
clubs. girls garden and canning clubs.
and girls canning clubs. Twenty diplo-
mas were awarded by Dean Leon S. Mer-
rill of the College of Agriculture to men,
bers making the five highest scores in
the four clubs.
Harrison Blackstone, 17-year-old po-
tato club boy of Perham, Aroostook
county, won tlrst honors in potato grow
ng. He raised potatoes at the rate of
1853 bushels to the acre and at cost of
II cents per bushel. He also wrote the
pest essay on potato growing, and read
It before the clubs.
Marin Gentle of Littleton, Aroostook
county, held the record for lowest cost
Der bushel. He raised his crop at the
ate of 378 bushels to the acre, at a cost
If Is IL cents per bushel.
Thirt y-seven boys sent exhibits of po-
,atoes to the contest, and members of
the girls garden and canning clubs sent
% exhibits of canned goods.
Knox County Debt.