The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-07-26
POTATO CLUBS
IN MINNESOTA
Boys and Girls Instru-
mental in Inprov- j,
ing Crop
(By T. A. ERICKSON in Potato
Magazine).

girls, members of the boys and girls
potato clubs of Minnesota for the
past five years, have grown only
standard varieties of potatoes and
have demonstrated better methods
OF producing them. The work has
been carried on by the college Of ag-
riculture cooperating with the state
Potato Growers association and the
Northern Minnesota Development as
sociation, working through county
farm bureaus, the public schools and
other community forces.
Each boy or girl who enrolls in a
potato club must grow at least one
eighth acre of standard variety,
keep record of method of cultiva.
tion, cost of production, and exhibit
best peck at slow. Special incen-
tives for doing their best have been
provided in the form of cash prizes,
medals and educational trips.
The definite results of this work
are best shown by giving few re-
ports of some of the splendid rec
ords made by individual embers,
clubs and counties.
st. Louis county illustrates what
is meant for county as a whole.
The first year there was very little
interest in better potatoes. Scrub"
potato stock was the general thing.
The result of the work of the first
year, however, created interest, and
this interest has steadily grown until
each of the last two years more than
400 boys and girls, as members of
potato clubs, have demonstrated
better potatoes" and "better meth
DDS of growing potatoes" for practi-
cally every community of the coun-
ty% Standard varieties have grad
ually replaced the old Scrubs" un-
til today st. Louis county farmers,
young and old, are growing mostly
the Green Mountain and the Irish
Cobhler. Each of the last two years
more that thirty Potato club fairs"
were held in this county. Club mem
bers brought their exhibits and gave
their reports and related stories on
How l Grew My Potatoes" The
exhibits were held in the school
houses under direction Of the teach
ers as local club leaders. The coun-
ty superintendent of schools, county
agent and representatives of the ag-
ricultural college attended all these
fairs" judged and helped with the
programs. A great many parents
attended these fairs" and received
the potato-growing enthusiasm from
their boys and girls, and the special
instruction from the judges. The
county agent made the statement to
the writer that it was the most ef-
fective method for the better po-
tato" program in st. Louis county he
had ever tried.
Demonstrations in wonderful rec
ords have been made by potato clubs.
The La Prairie Boys Potato club of
Itasca county has won the state po-
tato club championship for four con-
secutive years, with an average yield
per acre for its members as follows:
$40 bushels per acre for 1915.
346 bushels per acre for 1917.
323 bushels per acre for 1918.
AIS bushels per acre for 1919.
Several Of these boys have be-
come expert seed potato growers and
by their records have stimulated seed
potato growing in the entire COM
Andrew Tofte of Cook county en-
rolled the first year as an eleven
year-old boy. He has made one Of
the best records in the state both in
quality and in quantity. His ex-
hibit peck has never scored less than
80, while his yield has averaged 500
busels to the acre for five years.
He has won a great many honors
in trophies, prizes and trips.
In the northwestern corner of the
state Eldred Lindahl and from so to
100 other boys have helped each year