390 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



it shows we have twenty-five to fifty per cent, better returns for 

 each dollar in money spent from the boys and girls than of the 

 older people; we have the reports that they bring in like Mr. 

 Erickson showed here. Those boys and girls by those reports 

 show that they have followed the instructions better than the 

 older people have. They make better reports. More than that, 

 those boys and girls, a larger percentage of those receiving the 

 seed make reports. Therefore I am here to say that you members 

 of the Horticultural Society in working for the betterment of the 

 world in which you live, you will find you get larger returns for 

 time and money spent on boys and girls than you will on the old 

 ones. That is true of boys and girls as well as of dogs, that is, 

 it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. (Applause.) 



Mr. Erickson : I want to call your attention to these reports 

 of the boys and girls. You notice that they are taught to give 

 credit to everything they do in the garden work. I want to 

 emphasize one point, and I am sorry to have to make this state- 

 ment. We have about 1,200 boys and girls in these clubs, and I 

 have only referred to one phase of their work. It is true that the 

 fathers and mothers, the parents, who ought to be the most inter- 

 ested in the boys and girls, are really the biggest problem. The 

 boys who are the quitters are the ones whose fathers say : "You 

 better not compete for that prize, you better give up." These 

 fathers and mothers look at it from the standpoint of the prizes ; 

 the boys do not do that ; they get into the game. 



I could tell different stories of such happenings. One little 

 fellow complains that he wants to finish up, but his father wants 

 to cut his acre of corn and put it in the silo. This father did not 

 realize what it meant to the little boy. Another father lets his 

 binder go through the acre, doesn't want his boy to fool with it 

 any longer. That is why boys and girls lose interest in their 

 homes. Give the boys and girls a chance ! 



This shows how the boys and girls get interested. Laura has 

 brought you a sample of her soil along to show you on what kind 

 of soil she grew her tomatoes. If you would read her story, and 

 the story of many others of the girls in print, you would think it 

 the most interesting story you ever got hold of. I want to say 

 that we appreciate what the association has done to encourage 

 this work. (Applause.) 



Mr. Kellogg : I sent a dollar today to a girl twelve years old 

 at Oakwood for the second prize of ten ears of corn. She took 

 the first prize at the county fair, which was worth about $12.00. 

 I told her I would give her a dollar a year for the next ten years. 

 We have heard a great deal of what the boys do ; I want to hear 

 about the girls. I am sorry that Philips and I haven't got more 

 youngsters about the size that you want to put into the corn field. 

 Philips may have some grandchildren that he can put into the 

 corn field, and perhaps I have, but I am sorry we haven't got 

 more of them. 



