364 ANNUAL REPORTS OP DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



tion to 468,514 callers at their offices, and took part in 55,432 meetings 

 attended by more than 3,000,000 persons. More than three-fourths of 

 a million letters were written giving information. They also sent out 

 more than 3,000,000 circulars and circular letters. Specialists from 

 the State colleges of agriculture or the United States Department of 

 Agriculture took part in 14,545 of these meetings arranged for by 

 agents. 



BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUB WORK. 



The boys' and girls' club work continued under the direction of 



0. H. Benson. During the year ending June 30, 1918, 30 of the 33 

 Northern and Western States cooperated directly with this office in 

 junior extension, or boys' and girls' club work. One State coop- 

 erated in the expenditure of Smith-Lever and war emergency funds, 

 while the two other States cooperated to the extent of sending in 

 reports of the work, using follow-up literature, and in other ways. 



As a war-time measure additional effort was put forth to make 

 boys and girls enrolled in club work a direct asset to the Nation in 

 food production and food conservation. The special lines of w^ork 

 pursued included gardening, canning, drying; the raising of poultry, 

 pigs, baby beeves, and sheep ; the baking of liberty bread ; the mak- 

 ing and remodeling of garments for home use and for the Ked 

 Cross war work; and the making of homemade sirups from sugar 

 beets, apples, and other fruits. Demonstrations were also carried on 

 in the conservation of sugars, flours, meats, and fats. 



Special enlistment cards were issued by the department and the 

 State agricultural colleges cooperating, as an appeal to boys and 

 girls for their help in the war program. Enrollment entitled the 

 member to a card carrving the attractive 4-H club insignia in colors, 

 and a certification of membership in the Boys' and Girls' Liberty Food 

 Club. By June, 1918, a total enrollment of 614,531 members was se- 

 cured. This number did not include many thousands who had not at 

 that time signed and sent in regular enlistment cards, nor the large 

 number of boys and girls in the cities engaged in war-garden produc- 

 tion. The enrollment as above noted shows a growth over the regu- 

 lar 1917 enrollment of 39.4 per cent. 



The special efforts in food production and food conservation gave 

 results in the different lines of work, as follows: 



(1) Home gardening, in which 68,234 members reported December 



1, 1917, the production of $893,521 worth of fresh vegetables. 



(2) Home canning, in which 21,736 members reported 1,569.229 

 quarts of fresh vegetables, meats, and soups canned; 216,501 jars of 

 jellies, jams, and preserves put up; and 2,740 pounds of fruits and 

 vegetables dried. 



(3) Poultry raising, in which 4,376 members reported 29,541 fowls 

 managed, 106,358 chicks hatched, and 35,370 dozen eggs produced. 



(4) Pig raising, in which 7,382 members reported 10,583 animals 

 managed, producing 1,797,196 pounds of pork. 



(5) Bread making, in which 5,242 members reported 346,698 loaves 

 of liberty bread baked. 



(6) Garment making, in which 13,165 members reported 92.189 

 garments and pieces of work for home use and for distribution to the 

 Red Cross work. 



