ioi8 Rural School Leaflet. 



you sitting beside me in front of the roaring fire, -we must talk to each 

 other from a distance; I in this Leaflet and you sending me personal 

 letters in reply. 



Last year a number of boys and girls took part in the Cornell contests 

 and did good work. When we came to make decisions for prizes 

 it was a difficult matter. This year we hope there will be hundreds 

 of other boys and girls who will enter the contests, not merely to win 

 a prize, but to take part in a competition that will call for the best work 

 you can give. It does not matter whether you make gardens or bread 

 or grow the best corn or potatoes, so long as you do your piece of work 

 the best you know how. You must not become discouraged and let 

 the work go after the middle of summer. The boy or girl of real worth 

 will finish up any piece of work he or she has begun. 



Perhaps you know that the potato crop is one of the most important 

 in this State. Some of the boys and girls who study agriculture in their 

 schools have become interested in this and are planning to grow potatoes 

 this summer. They have asked us for bulletins and other reading 

 matter so that they may learn from persons of experience how to do 

 their work with the greatest skill. In the Teacher's Leaflet this month 

 we are publishing an article by Professor Stone on growing potatoes. 

 Ask your teacher to let you read it. 



Be sure to enter one of the contests. If you follow the directions 

 and do your work well, you not only will learn a great deal from the 

 experience but you may win one of the prizes. 



We have some Leaflets on hand giving directions for making bread, 

 raising chickens, and the like. These will be sent to any boy or girl 

 making request for them. 



And you will not forget in the long summer days that all boys and 

 girls living in the country are going to help to make the farm folk of 

 the future in this State the best and strongest in the world. We depend 

 on boys and girls for this, for some of you are going to be the future 

 farmers. To be good farm folk you must have character; you must 

 read much and think more; you must be open minded and try to learn 

 from others whatever will improve your farm conditions; you must 

 become naturalists, and learn to love the wind and the rain, the growing 

 things, the birds, and all the rest. You must learn to love the dawn, 

 the early morning odors, and to find each part of the day, each twi- 

 light, and each nightfall filled with wonders. 



A happy summer to you all. 



Sincerely your friend, 



Alice G. McCloskey 



