The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-01-26
PIC CLUB BOY READ
ENCOURAGING PAPER
Ernan Fraser of Hawthorne Interest
ed Members of Swine Growers
Association
NUMBER %

What the Pig Club Has Done for
Ne" Ernan's record is one that he
has reason to be very proud of and
what he has done can be done by other
Florida boys. Thru his club work, he
has acquired money to spend, several
| trips out into the world, year at col
lege, better agricultural education
and start toward herd of pure bred
hogs.
The paper in full he read before the
| convention was as follows:
Seven years ago Mr.. Brown, coun-
ty agent of Alachua county at that
time, came to our school talking about
club work and tried to get the boys to
join one or more of the many clubs, so
| Joined the pig club.
my pig grew fine but didn't enter
her in the fairs, because l did not
think she was good enough. The Sec
ond year l did the same way. From
these two years of experience, found
out that pure bred hogs are better
| than scrubs. l raised several itters
| of pigs from some gifts / had saved
for breeding purposes, but | never
could get registration papers on them.
"The third year came and I did not
have club pig. At this time the
| Southern Ruralist was Offering pigs
to club boys and girls for getting SUBJ
scriptions to the paper. went to
work getting subscriptions as soon as
| saw the offer. l won gilt but she
was not much of pig so l did not
show her at the fairs.
'The fourth and my last year came.
[ Mr.. Gum, the Alachua county agent
at the present time, suggested that
buy boar pig, so / bought one for a
club pig. Then near the time for the
Alachua County Fair ] went into my
herd of meat hogs and picked out
three barrows. AS / was on the judg-
ing team last year at the Southeastern
Fair, my pigs missed three weeks of
feeding, only what they got for them
selves in the pastures. When l return
ed home l had only two weeks before
the fair to get them ready but / sent
them on and won first prize on my
boar and pen of barrows.
Besides, have made money on the
pig club work. / have sold pigs and
won cash prizes which gave me money
to spend that could not have had but
for the pig club. had saved enough
money to pay the Highland Oaks
= Farm $50 cash for a boar pig last
summer. In seven years have sold
SO head for pork and two for breed
ing and got $1145 for the 65 head.
With this pen and my pen of barrows
at the county fair | won enough mon
) ey to pay all expenses of sending
them on to the state fair where won
$40 in cash and sold my pen at good
, price. / have now a registered boar,
| one sow and butchered six meat hogs
and am going to buy good gilt or
so to go with my boar as 9 start to-
ward herd.
''The club work taught me the value
of sticking to thing until win. In
1920 / tried out for the Florida club
judging team and failed. tried again
in 1921 and made the team. This gave
me a trip thru Georgia, visiting many
of the best herds in that state and on
to the Southeastern Fair. On this trip
= learned more about hogs that
would have been able to learn in five
} years by staying at home. / owe the
trip to the club work.
Give years in succession / won a
( scholarship to the boys short course
at Gainesville, where listened to the
lectures and learned many things
: which helped me in my work. 1t gave
! me a better idea of Florida and of
the world in general. A country boy
] needs to get out from home 50 he can
see what others are doing and get
!, ideas from them. The club work gave
me my only change to see the world.
) SIN addition to my short course
scholarships last year won a $10t
] scholarship to the agricultural college
/ given by the State Bankers Associa.
tion. This will enable me to get 9
! year of college which would have beer
0 impossible but for the club work.
''To sum it all up the club work Ia.
/ meant to me-money to spend, severa
trips out into the world, year IN col
J. lege, better agricultural education
n and start toward herd of pure bre(
hogs which ! hope to develol until i
becomes credit to the boys clul