Evening star., 1936-12-27
City COnueniences for Farm
Sought by Former Teacher
Albert Graham, Credited With FOrn1in 2
Boy and Club A griculture Groups
From Which EuOIued 4H.

Farm life with city conveniences.
Plumbing, electricity, and work and
travel and recreation. That is the
idea to which Albert B. Graham, a
large, genial former school teacher
has devoted half century of pro-
noting.
He still believes it can be done.
Graham, now approaching 10, is
credited with founding the original
boys and girls agricultural club in
this country. From this single Ohio
township group of IS rural youngsters
has evolved the national All clubs,
the future farmers of America, and
other rural groups with more than
million members.
Now nearing retirement age at the
Agriculture Department, the white
haired veteran refused "to take all
the credit for this club" although
bronze tablet at Springfield Town
ship, Clark County, Ohio, lists him
as the founder of the first boys and
girls agricultural club in the United
States" on January Is, 1902.
Was School Teacher.
II was rural school teacher then
II years DID," said Graham. Most
of the things we taught farm boys
and girls then was pretty foreign to
their daily lives. We worked in some
Of the things they knew about, such
as crops, animals, weeds, trees, insects,
flowers and the soil.
Eventually I got to be a county
superintendent, and we formed q
club that was not connected with
school work. 1t met once q month
to talk over problems on the farm, food
values, the kind of clothing to wear,
wallpaper colors for the home and
all the things these young people
were interested in.
Il wanted not to train young farm
ers. That was the furthest from my
mind; wanted them to be right
minded about the open country. I
wanted them to know farming was q
dignified and scientific profession and
that church or school in the country
had certain advantages"
Graham said the first club kept
records Of tests and tried all kinds
Of demonstrations and studies with
materials at hand, until "the idea
spread out like ants after sugar" and
the clubs were scattered over Ohio.
Taugh Handicraft.
1.-THE club members were taught
handicraft that was useful in their
daily lives, how to test milk, Judge
live stock, spray trees and the Lord
knows what not" he added.
Much complaint was heard about
too much school stress on the three
Rs-reading, writing and arithme-
tic,'" Graham said, so we began to
teach about the three Hs-head, heart
and hand training"
The fourth III" for health was
added ip 1909 and the All club name
was copyrighted later by the Agricul-
ture Department.
Graham followed the lives Of the
IS boys and girls In his first club and
found "that 10 per cent Of them be-
came farmers, wives of farmers, or
In some work connected with farming"
From his county superintendent
job, Graham moved to Ohio State
University tQ carry on his work in the
State, and in 1915 to the Federal De-
partment Of Agriculture. He still
maintains outside contacts with
group of young rural people in nearby
Maryland.
II think the only way to stay young
and think young Is to mix with young
people," he said.
II can't dance. You see I have
. Methodist foot on one side, and .
Quaker on the other, and they Just
won't work.
"But still play their games. That
Is, until ! get winded and have to
rest on the sidelines."
Says Fewer Leaving Farms.
Graham said more and more young
people were. staying on farms for two
reasons: They have . new view Of
farm life, and there are not 90 many
jobs open in the towns and cities.
He said "one Of the best things that
has happened to young farm people
Is to have . co-partnership with dad
20 they get some real income Of their
own"
Farming win not make million
aires. but it can be real living" he said.
After al. that's what the barber, the
mechanic, and AL the other small
wage earners are trying to flnd now