40 RURAL RECONSTRUCTION 



bankers declare that they make practically no loss upon such 

 transactions. In truth, they gain more indirectly by their liberality 

 than the interest for their money amounts to. For the children 

 helped are not likely in after-life to forget their early benefactors. 

 They soon — very soon, by reason of their profits — become depositors, 

 and eventually customers, or " patrons," as they are called in 

 America. So the good seed " sown beside all waters " comes to 

 bear fruit. The proceeds of the sales are quite understood to belong 

 to the child. That is part of the banker's agreement with the 

 parent. And that is a great attraction to the competitor, who often 

 enough garners in a fat harvest. 



But there is, as already stated, more expense besides than what 

 is entailed by the necessary purchase of the objects on which to 

 operate. The meetings want to be got up. There are incidental 

 expenses. And there are the prizes already spoken of, which in 

 some cases take a substantial shape — a scholarship at a college, a 

 trip to distant towns affording interest, and the like, besides the 

 usual cups or trophies or books and implements and similar articles. 

 Part of the money required for such expenses is provided by the 

 authorities, mostly the States or Provinces ; but a good deal is con- 

 tributed by private persons, well-wishers to the cause and to their 

 country — the bankers once more helping liberally. 



There can be no question but that the boys' and girls' clubs con- 

 stitute a potent factor for the advancement of agriculture and of 

 rural life in all its aspects. This is readily acknowledged by the 

 Departments of Agriculture, charged as they are with the care of 

 both these services mentioned, and by other authorities con- 

 cerned, whose praise is not egotistical. For the clubs were the idea 

 of private persons. 



Their beneficial effects are observable under three heads. 



In the first place, there are the boys and girls themselves engaged 

 in the work. They turn out to be, not only thoroughly primed in 

 the work which they learn, by actually doing it themselves, but also 

 impregnated with a love for husbandry and a " rural spirit." There 

 are few indeed such boys or girls who desert from the rural ranks or 

 feel inclined to do so. The gay town displays its charms to them in 

 vain. Of course they learn a very great deal about the various 

 occupations in husbandry at an age at which knowledge so acquired 

 sinks readily into the active young mind and remains rooted there. 

 They learn the " points " of animals betimes. It is described as 

 truly remarkable how well they learn to act as judges at competi- 

 tions, being specially trained to this. They know how to handle 



