Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-20

prizes with the biggest hogs In the
county fair. Some Of the boys-i1o. It
might be challenged IL we accused any
of these huskies of knitting doilies, but
they can can SO varieties Of fruits and
vegetables.
oflcial authority is found for the
following statement, under date of
1924: Each succeeding year the i'm
portance of the farm boys and girls
for bringing about the introduction
of improved practices has steadily in
creased. The enrolment of girls has
been larger than that Of boys. OF the
300,645 girls enrolled in one or more of
the various club projects, 175,545 were
enrolled in some phase of clothing con-
struction, of whom 100,702 reported
the making of 321 1895 garments and
articles Of various kinds. Interest in
food preservation is indicated by the
enrolment of 83,419 girls and 726 boys
in Misrepresentation clubs. A total Of
43,971 girls and 482 boys reported the
canning. preserving and picking Of
1852, 641 quarts of fruit vegetables and
meat. There were 81 ,929 girls enrolled
in poultry clubs and 1924 In dairy
clubs. To make the home more attrac-
tive and its surroundings more salts
flying, 33,667 girls were enrolled in
projects for the Identification of home
grounds"
All Of the above statistics are super
seeded now by huger figures, for they are
taken from the 1924 report, but the pro-
portion remains the same-advancement
of interests among the youths of the
farms in improving conditions under
which they live and move and have
their livelihood In fact the enroll
ment in 1923 was 663,e40; probably by
now there are million, out of the
10000 eligibles' in America.
State organizations select the best
champions out of the farm club to rep
resent the States in the annual pilgrim
ages and encampment in Washington
(of which the present one is the third
and so two girls and two boys from
each of 40 States. plus Hawaii, and
leader" also from each, are now en-
camped upon the grounds Of the De-
partment of Agriculture, having "the
time of their lives
Will these champions go back to the
farm and hustle, with increased knowl-
edge and enthusiasm, or will they dawdle
around factory because factory wages
entice them into factory drudgery?
A team OF the farm champion boys
has been sent to England to compete
with an English team in judging live
stock And the "Yanks are coming"
every year, for this first team showed
the British competitors that they didn't
take a back seat for any "furriner"
when it came to noting the fine points
OF steer or horse, sheep or pig Our
champions won all the prizes in stock
Judging.
Every morning the camp is aroused
by reveille, then comes the raising of
Old Glory. At 8 o'clock, in the hall Of
the National Museum, there Is an as
sembly, addressed by some notable
speaker, and in the afternoons all are
personally conducted" upon sight
seeing tours, such as trips to Mount
Vernon and to the chief sights of
, official Washington. In the evenings
they gather about a campfire upon the
grounds Of the Department of Agricul-
ture, and different teams vie with others
IN presenting programs of entertain
ment
That's why it is confessed that the
! scheme of Congress to relieve agricul-
tural grippe. by dose of half a billion
dollars, is not to be compared in inn
portance with the movement among
the farm youths, of ages 10 to 90, in
discovering ways to be happy though
farming. What are dollars compared
with 4-H's? American farmers don't
drop their HIS, like the English.
(Copyrisht, 1929, by Paul " Coliinx1