The Nevada County picayune., 1917-06-14
URGE BANKERS TO
 BOOST PIG CLUBS
Uncle Sam's Agricultural Experts Seek Increase ia Country'S
 Meat Supply.
3O,OOO BOYS NOK MEMBERS
Work of Encouraging Young Farmers Has Grown Rapidly tn Few Years-Two Meth 5de of
 Financing Followed.

Since hogs afford the quickest means of increasing our meat supply. continued and extended efforts of pub l lic-splrited bankers in furthering the organization of pig clubs by advancing to club members the money needed for the purchase of purebred SOW pigs Is doubly desirable at this time. accord l ing to Uncle Sans agricultural ex- perts.
 Pig clubs have increased very rap. idly during the past seven years. the specialists point out. In 1910 there were 30 members in the United States; i today the number exceeds 30000, found principally in Arkansas, Ala bama. California, North Carolina 1 Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kentucky, Indi- ana, and Massachusetts. These states contained 21673 members last year, but pig clubs are being formed rapidly in other states. The demand for gifts and bred gilts by club members is un precedented. even at the high prices at which they are held.
 Financial assistance to the pig club members has been the means of intro. ducing purebred hogs in places where otherwise this might have been i'm. possible, and has helped to build up the agriculture of the communities which the banks serve. These clubs stand not alone for greater pork pro- duction. By increasing the amount of live stock they encourage the produc- tion of much of the feed on the farm, and as their activities are coincident with or follow club work in the grow ing of corn and forage crops. they are part of system that favors sound diversity in agriculture and a rotation of crops that will maintain the fertili- ty of the soil.
 Two Plans Followed.
 Two plans have been followed by bankers in providing the SOW pigs necessary to enable the boys and girls to engage in pig work. One method is the so-called promissory note plan. The banker makes individual con- tracts with the pig club members. In each case he agrees to lend them certain sum of money at 6 per cent interest for one year, or longer II necessary. The member agrees to keep up a membership in pig club, t. invest the loan under the direction of the county agent or county club rep resentative, and to repay 1t at ma turity out of the proceeds of ohe sale of the original stock or the increase. AS security for the loan, the banker takes the members promissory note. The members parent consents to the contract in writing. and agrees not to claim any right in the pigs purchased or their proceeds.
 The other method is called the "end- less-chain" plan. This also involves individual contracts. The banker agrees to furnish a registered SOW pig. The boy or girl agrees to join local pig club, obey it's rules, care for the SOW according to instructions, breed her at not less than eight months of age to a registered boar of the same breed raise the litter according to the rules of the club, and deliver to
 
 than eight weeks old) from the first litter. The member agrees also to take out registration papers for all the first litter pigs not sold for immediate slaughter. When these agreements are met, the original SOW and the remaining pigs become the members property. i If the member is unable to return two AF hn GrGt agreement continues until this Is pos slble. If the original SOW dies before Narrowing a healthy litter the banker bears the loss. If the member does not fulfill all agreements, rights to the SOW and her progeny are forfeited. The parent agrees to the contract, in writing and acknowledges that the SOW and increase shall belong to the boy or girl.
 Endless Chain Established.
 When the banker receives the two SOW pigs from the member and puts them out with other boys or girls un- der the same agreement, the endless chain feature of the activities is set III motion. This plan may be varied in details to suit conditions. For in- stance, the banker may require the re- turn of only one SOW pig, and stipulate that the boy or girl must join a corn or peanut club. raise at least half an acre of green feed, and exhibit the SOW and her offspring at the county fair l or livestock show.
 Under similar arrangements, boys have received calves to raise, and both l boys and girls have received eggs Of purebred chickens for matching. l It Is urged by Uncle Sam's experts that bankers in the South who have taken part in these projects hereto fore continue their aid, and others, both in the North and la the Soutn' take up the work, as 1t is a patriotic duty at this time to increase the na- tion's supply of food.
 Hr;,o+aan nresidentS of the Untteu