The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-06-04

prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture)
In the little town of Spring Green,
Wis, grateful son has set aside the
sum Of $1,000 for unique memorial
TO his father, for many years pro-
gressive and honored member of the
community. The money is to be held
in trust by the University OF Wisconsin
and the income from it is to be used
In promoting boys and girls club
work. The son has done what the
father had planned to do before his
death-a plan prompted by the strik-
ing results which club work for boys
and girls has achieved in the vicinity
Of Spring Green and other parts Of
Wisconsin.
This henefaction is but one of many
evidences that thoughtful men are rec
ognizing In this activity for, and by,
Junior farmers" one of the big fea-
lures in Americas movement for bet
ter farms and better farming-big, be-
cause of the great promise which it
holds for the future.
Training Farmers of Tomorrow.
While there are many important
phases In this club work, the bearing
which it has on the problem of how
the farmer of tomorrow can better
understand marketing is Of particular
interest, because that phase of the
farmers work, when ignorantly per-
formed, may deprive him of all the
profits from his labor. What the
farmer receives at the market is, gem
orally speaking, an index to his sue
cess or failure. OF course, he cannot
hope to win if his products are bad
and sometimes he cannot sell them
probably If they are good. But when
they are bad or poor, a big factor in
promoting improved methods on the
farm is clear understanding of what
the market demands and what it is
going to reject or discount.
Scientists and educators have long
contended that men and women under
stand and remember the things best
which they learned in their early,
formative years. But psychology and
pedagogy aside, that is counted good
common sense. And people are real
izing more and more that it applies
to tuying and selling planting and
harvesting, quite as much as to book
learning. This fact has been a great
stimulus to the boys and girls club
work now fiourishing in all of the
states of the Union.
If any farmer, father of boys or
girls, is not taking the time to teach
his children fundamentals of farming
In such a way that they can promote
their own legitimate interests when
disposing of the farms yield, that
farmer Is neglecting big opportunity
to make sure Of his children's success
In agriculture. IL he has not the time
or knack to teach his children, he at
least can lend hearty support TO the
club work in his neighborhood, because
club members are becoming good mar
keters, as well as good stock and crop
raisers. ".
This club work, promoted by the
United States department of agricul-
ture in cooperation with the various
states, gives boys and girls an under.
standing of marketing that is funda-
mental. Take the boy who Is a mem
Der Of baby beef club, for example.
His daily care of his animal for ne
Rod of several months gives him a
familiarity with live stock which
adults unacquainted with the subject
can acquire only with difficulty. He
learns that young cattle make better
gains-as much as % to 40 per cent
more-than mature cattle on the same
feed. lie discovers that the herd of
cattle ON hand at any one time Is SMALL
er when baby beef Is being raised,
since there are no two or three-year-
| olds-hence there is larger surplus
Of feed and pasture.
The boy learns from his father or
from the club leader that young heif-
ers when finished as baby beef ut 800
to $50 pounds often sell as well as
steers, whereas when they are over
two years of age they usually are dis.
crimlnated against by buyers. Well
/ finished beevcs when fattened for the
market under two years OF age offer
greater choice in the matter OF select,
ing the time for marketing. Early
yearlings Of high quality, the boy finds
can be fed either a somewhat longer
\ or shorter time than first plhnnad
/ without any material change in the
finish Of the animal, This Is a de,
cided advantage when the market ii
''weak' or "unsteady"--terms which
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