TRAINING FOR COUNTRY LIFE 35 



indeed, excellent for agriculture. But they are even more valuable 

 still for country life, as bringing out the rural bent of the rural child, 

 making the country child love the rural world into which it was born, 

 by means of a familiarity which does not " breed contempt," but on 

 the contrary admiration and affection. 



The organisation of such " clubs " began, I think, with the simple, 

 but decidedly useful practice of setting boys to pick out particular 

 ears of corn in their fathers' fields, which ears were destined, in 

 virtue of their exceptional quality, to become the progenitors of 

 pedigree " breeds." That practice of handpicking, for the produc- 

 tion of exceptionally good seed corn has since been put to good use 

 in France, and, by means of that exchange of seed between our two 

 countries, which has of late become a regular feature in both British 

 and French agricultural economy, and has decidedly approved itself 

 by its most satisfactory results, has also benefited ourselves. In 

 America such practice was rather badly wanted ; for seeds had 

 become hopelessly mixed. Purity was rather honoured in the breach 

 than the observance. And purity is not the only quality which comes 

 into account in the use of seed. There is good and bad in every 

 variety. Every pure-bred colt or bull-calf does not make a desirable 

 sire. So it is also in corn. Apart from the breed, the grains had to 

 be selected. Commended by its results the practice spread, and it 

 is allowed to have brought about a great change, much for the 

 better. It has taught the coming generation of farmers a great deal 

 about the proper qualities of seed grain and the proper way of grow- 

 ing corn, and has taught also the adults, through the boys, and so 

 contributed not a little to the improvement and purification of 

 American corn yields, which come to us, among other buyers, care- 

 fully standardised as the grain now is. 



The gathering of selected ears, to serve for seed and " breeding," 

 naturally led to the cultivation first of " corn " (maize), and next of 

 wheat and other cereals, and eventually of almost every kind of 

 cultivated farm plant, potatoes, other roots, alfalfa (lucerne) and so 

 on. Competition and tuition under experienced guides, on measured 

 little plots of " father's " land, with seed, fertilisers, implements, 

 and whatever else might be needed supplied on credit — to be duly 

 repaid, which such advances are conscientiously — and a prize in store 

 for the best producer, that has taught the young agriculturists a 

 great deal. They know now what seed to select, how to plant and 

 cultivate it, and eventually reap its produce. And truly prodigious 

 yields are recorded from such experimental plots, for the cost of 

 producing which proper accounts have to be rendered. For mini- 



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