Boys and Girls' Industrial Clubs

Boys' and Girls' Industrial Clubs

BY PROF. J. C. HOGENSON, OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

In many of the states of the Union, there have been few developments in recent years that have given greater educational stimulus than has the work done by clubs of boys and girls in agriculture and domestic affairs. A potato-growing club is an association of boys who enter into competition to determine which can grow the most or best potatoes on a certain area of ground under definite rules, as to kind of seed, planting, cultivation, irrigation, and exhibit of their product. For girls, these clubs usually take the form of bread-making, sewing, or in helping the boys in gardening or poultry contests. In our state, where perhaps seven-tenths of the children who attend the public schools will either take up some branch of agriculture or become wives in the homes of our state, it seems essential that they begin to learn in a systematic way the problems which they must meet later in life, while they are in the public schools. This is emphasized more when we realize that of the children of the rural communities, 95 per cent of them get their only education so far as books are concerned in the public school, and only 5 per cent of them go away from home for more schooling. These young men and women usually grow up with no regard for the farm. They look upon it as a place to be shunned, and as soon as enough money can be raked together they leave for the city where their lives usually become swallowed in the great commercialism of the day. That this can be remedied, I firmly believe, so that the young man and the young women will learn and appreciate, to the bottom of their hearts, the fact that they are living in God's free air and sunshine, where the waving breezes blow, where the silent river flows through the green meadows, and where the cows "knee deep in June " bask in the shade of the trees. 1

There is no place in the world that has bluer skies, brighter stars, more sunshine, greener verdure, richer lands, clearer and more sparkling water, more pleasant and healthful climate, and brighter boys and girls than Utah. Why then, should not some of these glorious truths be brought forth in our school-work, so that the boys and the girls of Utah will grow up with a liking in their hearts for the farm and the home. The result to be secured from such chilis may be thus summarized :

(1) Individually the members are led to observe more closely, to recognize good and bad qualities in the products they have grown.

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BOYS' AND GIRLS' INDUSTRIAL CLUBS 635

They meet and solve some problems in the improvement of plants, animals and housework. They learn something of the value of labor, the cost of production, and the keeping of simple accounts. They read good literature, and learn some of the sources of good agricultural literature. Their views are broadened by contact with others. Finally, the power of taking the initiative becomes strongly developed in them, so that they become responsible members of the community. (2) Collectively they learn the value of organized effort and of compromise. (3) The influence upon the communities at large is apparent in producing better results in farming. (4)The knowledge that the natural love of competition among boys and girls can be utilized to immense advantage in furthering their own education for efficiency.

During the year 1912, Potato clubs were organized in Cache, Box Elder, Utah and Sanpete counties by the Extension Division of the Agricultural College, in co-operation with the district and high schools of the state. Supt. R. V. Larsen of Cache county, was particularly active in the work, shown by the fact that Cache county boys (members of these clubs) won all the prizes in the contests at the 1912 State Fair. One thousand and twenty boys enlisted in the work, each of them growing one-half an acre of potatoes under definite instruction. Local clubs were organized with a full set of officers, the president of each local club becoming a vice-president in the county club. The members of the local clubs competed with each other for local prizes. Those winning the local prizes in each local club competed for county prizes at the county fairs. Those winning at the county fairs competed for state prizes, at the State Fair. At the State Fair, of 1912, thirteen contestants entered for the state prizes. Each contestant exhibited an affidavit of yield, the best fifty pounds, the best dozen tubers, and a paper of not more than one thousand words, on how their crop was grown. The exhibits were judged by E. H. Grubb, the potato expert from Colorado, and Doctors Corbett and Orton of the United States Department of Agriculture, according to the following basis *

Best yield 60 % Best fifty pounds 20 % Best dozen tubers 10 % Best paper on how the crop was grown 10 %

100 % The prizes were awarded as follows Leonard Purser, age 15, of King, Cache co -1st Prize Horace Cannell, age 16, of Smithfield 2nd Prize Merle J. Hyer, age 17, of Lewiston 3rd P" ze Ralph J. Hyer, age 18, of Lewiston 4th Prize

636 IMPROVEMENT ERA

The yields ranged from 360 to 796 bushels per acre. Taking it all in all, the contest, the first year, was very successful, and plans have been in preparation for some time to extend the contests among the boys and girls of the state on a much wider basis for the year 1913. The object will be to localize the work so that in those sections where the boys are interested in jKDtato-growing, they may grow potatoes, in other sections, where they are interested in tomato-growing or vegetable-growing, or wheat, oats, barley or alfalfa, those crops may be grown. Girls clubs in bread-making, fruit-canning, sewing, poultry-raising, and flower-growing will also be organized. Local merchants, commercial clubs, individual farmers, etc., will be asked to give premiums. The contestants will be divided into juniors and seniors, according to age. The successful contestants will be given free trips to the Farmers' Round-up and Housekeepers' Conference, held at the Agricultural College, in Logan, and trips to the State Fair, at Salt Lake City. Books, agricultural implements, and other useful articles will also be given. LOGAN, UTAH

The More Money the Less Work —The following excerpt from a letterfrom President Valentine, of the Swiss-German Mission, to the First Presidency, is pertinent both at home and abroad, and treats of a subject of great interest: "Our finances are a source of continual annoyance. If parents at home would send their remittances through our office, their sons would spend less money and do more missionary work, and the parents would be spared some final expenses which they must meet now. The only objection to the funds coming through our office comes from the elders who naturally dislike a supervision upon our part of their finances. "We have had protests from parents at home because of the ex travagance of the Swiss-German Mission. There is no justifiable reason for such complaint, but the parents listen to the call of a son roi additional money because he has been banished, or is going to conference, etc. These items are very minor. The transportation of our elders from one place to another is very cheap, but the circuits, stopovers, etc., which very easily become an incident to the move, are expensive. Our Saints are very generous and in many fields the elders are fed entirely and expend their regular allowance just the same for luxuries. I fear that our missionaries acquire some very bad economic habits, and as many of them are in the formative period of their lives, it is rather a severe economical loss for them during their entire afterlife, and a present loss to our mission, and to all humanity, because the more money the less work, usually."

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