Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-11-29
POTATO YIELD NETS
SCHOOL BOY $500
FROM SINGLE ACRE
BOYS AND GIRLS MAY ACCOM-.
PLISH VALUABLE THINGS
WORKING IN CLUBS

A yield of 400 bushels of potatoes
to the acre is quite out of the ordin-
ary, especially for the past season,
and it might concern some to know
few of the particulars about this
extra large yield.
The above results were obtained by
boy. Werner Felt of Marquette
county, who grew one acre of pota-
toes as his part in the Boys and
Girls club work which is under the
supervision of the extension division
at M. A. C.. There were sixty-seven
other club members who exhibited at
the State Potato show at Escanaba,
November 1-3, and the average yield
per acre of the ten highest was 287
bushels. The profit per acre was
computed in each case by deducting
the total cost of production from the
selling price. A scale of prices was
fixed so that all would be on the same
basis. According to this scale air
market potatoes were computed at
$1.25 per bushel, all Gull potatoes at
30c per bushel and all seed potatoes
at $500 per bushel. The net profit
per acre for the ten highest varied
from $503.30 to $207.74 and averaged
$289.96 per acre.
Such yields as these certainly show
what may be done when the best
farming methods are practiced and
the grower makes a study of his
business.
The Potato club is only one of
many organizations for boys and girls
throughout the state. Other club
projects are raising corn or beans,
keeping records of the dairy herd,
| pnrtlfV.xy
and raising swine.
This work is generally taken up in
communities where an agricultural
course is taught in the High school
and it gives the boys and girls a
chance to apply their classroom work
and put their theories into practice.
While this work is aimed more es-
pecially for High school students,
yet it should be introduced into every
rural school for there every boy and
girl lives on farm and they are ma
turally interested in the farming
operations.
Most children living in rural COM
munities are familiar with the usual
method of growing crops. They un-
derstand fairly well the practices of
the average crop grower, but to fol-
low these practices will give only the
average yield.
The aim, however, of every mem
ber of a club is to produce much
more than the average and to join
the group of really expert crop grow
: ers. To accomplish this he must
know more than the average grower.
When he begins to seek more know
ledge he becomes a student of agri-
culture. and he will clearly see that
the farmers problems are worth
while and worthy of mans best eff
forts.
Give boy or girl an acre of
corn or a pig to raise and immedi-
ately in them is awakened an inter-
est in farm life which can be brought
about in no other way. Give them
the profits from the enterprise and
they at once begin to plan on the
time when they will grow up and will
have farm of their own.
If we expect to keep the boys and
girls on the farm we must take them
into our confidence, let them see the
business side of farming, share with
them the problems which arise from
time to time, and above all teach
them to appreciate that the tilling of
the soil is an occupation at which a
man may well spend lifetime.