The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-04-19
CITY BOYS WOULD
LEARN FARM WORK
Farmers Urged to Cooperate in
Movement During Vacation.

! The following letter from the Crop
Improvement Committee, composed OF
J. Collin Vincent, 7. Murray Magma
der and J. Barry Mahool, Baltimore,
and addressed to Fellow Marylanders
and Others" is self explanatory:
You all took an interest in the Home
State Tour of the country boys last
year and many of you recognize the
efforts on the part of the city people to
get in closer touch with the farmers of
this State through interest IN the BOYS
and Girls Clubs and Crop Improvement
work.
Just now, when the country is
awakening to the call of preparedness,
and attention is being called by the
government, both National and State,
to the food supply of the Nation, we
are glad to see the press and other
agencies calling attention to back yard
and thrift gardens and the raising of
vegetables.
The note of warning regarding re-
sources of Maryland as given by DR..
Patterson of the State Agricultural
College in the Baltimore Sun, March
81, calls attention to the lack of farm
labor, and the necessity of more in
tensive farming rather than increased
acreage at this time.
In view of the withdrawal of young
men into different departments of ser
vice under present emergency it be-
hooves the farmers to use applied
science in shape of agricultural ma
chinery, which will overcome the la
Dor proposition on the larger acreage.
The question of first cost of machin-
cry to the farmer is a different prop
osition now than heretofore, and the
same applies equally to Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia,
for the farmers have the Federal Land
Bank of Baltimore, located in the
Fidelity Building, North Charles street,
where they can borrow money for that
purpose, provided they form themselves
into local associations, and we think
with this advantage should be secured,
and the work of blowing and seeding
become cooperative in many sections
and thus overcome scarcity of labor.
The ground plowed and seed sown by
neighbors working together and sys-
tematically, and the same method dur
ing the season, and at harvest.
When it comes to truck farming,
gardening, and light work, which is
necessary on a farm, we have a sug-
gestion to make. viii not your old
committee get together and canvass
the farmers in your vicinity and find
out if they will not take one or two
city boys into their homes to assist in
the light work, gardening, and making
themselves useful this summer?
We think there are hundreds of boys
in the city who, If they had a chance
to breathe good country air, eat good
country fare. see the development of
plant, animal and birdlife. would look
upon the work as a pleasure and not
drudgery, and the hosts would feel they
were helping to make men for the
future, who might be drawn to the
farm by their first taste of country
life.
If you haye Boys Clubs in the sec
ton they should be glad to take an in
terest in the city greenhorns. and save
them from home or city sickness.
Please discuss this with your neighbors
and write the result to Mr.. Frank Kent,
the Baltimore Sun, with suggestions as
to possibility of working out this
project.