106 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 



fined chiefly to the present status of the movement with typical 

 examples of successful work, and to the reaction of the agri- 

 cultural clubs on rural education. 



Various agencies have taken the initiative in starting this movement under 

 particular local conditions, but the inspiration for state-wide activity in these 

 lines has generally come from some individual or official source connected 

 with the state department of education, the state agricultural college, or the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. In the absence of such initiative 

 the work has sometimes begun in the zeal and wisdom of some county 

 officer or association, as the county superintendent of schools, the farmers' 

 institute society, the county fair association, or teachers' association, the 

 Grange organization, or the Young Men's Christian Association. Experience 

 has shown that the work has always been most permanent and productive 

 when it has resulted in a definite local organization, preferably under the 

 leadership of the county school superintendent (141, p. 7). 



Reference has already been made to the work of the state 

 and college extension departments, of state departments of edu- 

 cation, and of other agencies in the organization of these clubs 

 (37, 39, 4i, 43, 61, 142). 



During the present year (1911) this work has been extended, 

 and is becoming better organized. In 1909 there were clubs in 

 twenty-eight states with a total membership of approximately 

 150,000. During the present year many new clubs have been 

 formed, and the membership in many of those already organized 

 has increased. An instance of the latter is found in the increase 

 in membership of one club from 17 in 1909 to 555 in 1910. In 

 the above estimate for 1909 several states that now have clubs are 

 not included. For example, Kansas has one or more clubs in 

 each county, with a total membership of more than 5,000. The 

 eleven southern states that had a membership of about 13,000 

 in 1909 have this year nearly 50,000 enrolled. The total mem- 

 bership of 1910 for the entire country may conservatively be 

 estimated at more than 300,000. 



The most important recent development is that of the Boys' 

 Corn Club work in the southern states. This work was under- 

 taken by representatives of the United States Bureau of Plant 



