The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-05
EGGS 90 CENTS DON'T YOU WISH YOU HAD 100 HENS
Wade's Letter

Prof. L. N. Duncan, director of the
 junior extension department at Auburn. Ala, has announced that the week of December g to 14 has been set aside for enrolling all boys in the state between
 the ages of 10 and IS years in some
 branch of the club work of which the corn clubs and pig clubs are the most
 attractive for the boys. Plans have been arranged for enlisting the boys through fthe cooperation of the county demon stration agents superintendents oI schools and teachers. Professor Duncan asked me to give the matter some pub licity and official support. 1 know of no better and more interesting way than to tell the boys of Alabama a short true story of my own experience. I shall tell the story briefly, stripped of all egotis- tical intent and ask the reader to par don the personal reference which means much to the minds of boys even though less significant to the minds of men. When I was a boy of 10 years, l re- ceived from my grandfather five silver dollars as a Christmas present. My father became custodian of my funds and used them in his own personal af' fairs. giving me 2-months-old female pig for my money. Naturally l felt great deal of pride in my first personal
 property and gave the pig much atten- ton. It was with much pride and sat- isfaction that I watched her grow into a beautiful SOW. At the end of two and one-half years, I was the happy pos sessor of 22 fine pigs coming in three different filters. My father soon realized that he would have to increase the corn crop and build a larger barn or trade , me out of the hog business. He traded
 me beautiful 3-year-old lilly which developed into a saddle and harness ani- mai admired by everybody in the com munity.
 My first venture as farmer for my self and under my own direction began at the age of 21 years, while a student in the high school. I had realized that my education was too limited and that I had no one to whom I could turn TOT financial assistance. I conceived plan of farming as a side line to produce the necessary funds. I secured the use or 16 acres of land near the school bulldlns' the service of a horse, and a place lo board. On Saturdays and holidays. l prepared the land without interfering with my school work. On April 10 stopped school and planted the lana 10 cotton, cultivated it with my own labor and produced F bales of cotton. l gath cred as much of the cotton as l couio and hired the remainder gathered ana was back in school on the first Of NO yember with my years expenses palu and bank account amounting to S5oV' This combination worked so well that kept it up for several years as SUI dent and farmer, as school teacher and farmer, and finally as editor or country newspaper and farmer. IL was my success with these emergency crops that attracted public attention ana caused my appointment without appll- cation as special agent of the United States department of agricultude in l5oo This service taught me the value or soll improvement. intensive preparation, cui- tiyation, larger and more profitable yields of better quality and now to obtain them. It instilled in me the value l of quality and love for natural science necessary to accomplish these tnlnss: | loved to see plants grow and to admin | ster to their growth and development by applying the principles of how and why I they could and should be aided by the genius of man.
 It was this same insight that created l in me a love for plant and animal h1e, | and caused me to search for an under standing of the natural laws that de- l termine their growth and development. IL was the success of my endeavor to put I Such knowledge as I had acquired into practice which led me to produce large crops of superior quality and to Win several fancy prizes in contests which l entered, and finally won for me the rep utation upon which I was elected to my ] present position; all of which had US beginning by the purchase of a pig. How ever significant or insignificant my lie l work may have been the purchase or that pig played it's part.
 Fathers and mothers, see to 1t tnat your sons are enrolled in some branch of the club work in order that they may
 be taught early in life the value or ownership and the responsibility Of m dustry Plant the seed of business Tn the fertile brains of youth that 1t may de- velop into a firm foundation at man
 hood J. A. WADI' Commissioner of Agriculture and ln- dustries.