EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 287 



In this state, many breeding associations are being built around the 

 Boys' and Girls' Live Stock Clubs. Two methods are used in forming these 

 associations; viz: 1-A parent, local leader, or other interested person 

 who buys the club sire outright and charges each member so much for 

 service, or, 2 The club as a whole buys a good club sire. In either case 

 the sire may be used by persons living in the community upon payment 

 of a nominal service fee. 



In one of our counties (Eaton) there are ten such associations con- 

 sisting of a total of 128 pig club members. A number of these associa- 

 tions were started two years ago and have operated very successfully 

 since. In buying the boars, the county agent, Mr, R. W. Tenny, has 

 been very careful to buy animals that might be interchanged between 

 clubs at the end of one year. This makes the period of use for a good 

 sire for at least three years where there are three clubs in the breeding 

 circuit. Mr. Tenny is building his live stock improvement program around 

 the Boys' and Girls' Live Stock Clubs. 



Before live stock clubs are organized in a community or county, an 

 attempt is made to hold a meeting of all the breeders of that class 

 of live stock. At this meeting an outline is given of club work, co-opera- 

 tion expected of breeders and followup work to be expected from the 

 county and state club offices. Our most permanent cluhs are built around 

 the live stock breeders. 



2. Supervisory Program. 



The assistant state club leader in charge of live stock club work 

 assists county leaders in outlining their plans of work for the year, 

 meets with county breed associations, and goes into tlie county at least 

 once while the project is being conducted to give assistance in subject 

 matter instruction. In addition he helps to plan club tours, has charge 

 of the district live stock contests and the live stock exhibits and contests 

 at the State Fair, and also assists in closing up the club work at county 

 fairs in the fall and achievement days. More details of the club tours 

 and how the supervisory program is carried out, will be given under 

 the heading "Project activities and results." 



Subject Matter Assistance : Standard publications such as state and 

 U. S. D. A. bulletins appropriate for the different projects are listed 

 by the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Department. These lists and the neces- 

 sary bulletins are sent to the different county leaders. The bulletins 

 are supplemented by timely seasonal suggestions on the various projects. 

 All subject matter is written up in co-operation witli and by the hand 

 of the proper department of the college. 



At the beginning of the year my plan is to look over the different 

 county club agents and county agents programs of work for the year 

 and from these learn the most pressing livestock problems. As far as 

 possible, the subject matter we send out fits in with the "attack" of these 

 problems. 



3, Project Activities and Results. 



I find that one of the most effective ways of reaching the 39 counties 

 with 1529 boys and girls that are doing live stock club work is through 

 club tours and district stock judging ''meets." In this way I can reach 



