BOYS' AGRICULTURAL CLUBS 109 



of better farming. In beginning the work in a county we first secure co- 

 operation of the superintendent and through him interest the teachers. The 

 work is discussed at a teachers' institute and later a letter is mailed request- 

 ing each teacher to interest the boys in his school and his community in this 

 work. The names of the boys are sent to the county superintendent by the 

 teachers. 



This work furnishes the greatest opportunity yet launched for the county 

 superintendents and teachers to be of invaluable service to the people in 

 arousing interest in better farming and in improved agriculture. 



The ultimate purpose of the work is to aid the great movement for 

 better farming all along the lines, and to encourage the boy to get an edu- 

 cation in agriculture and to remain on the farm. 



The work in Alabama has been in progress scarcely a year and the 

 results are very encouraging indeed. At present the work has been started 

 in about 17 counties in the state. There is a total of approximately 2,000 

 boys listed in the work. There have been raised locally among merchants, 

 bankers, and other public-spirited people over $2,000 in prizes. In addition 

 to this the state fairs in Birmingham and Montgomery are offering a total 

 of about $500 for the boys in the corn clubs. After making these exhibits 

 at the state fairs the best of these will be carried to the National Corn Show. 



It has been my pleasure during the last month to hold boys' meetings 

 in several counties and to visit a large number of individual acres of 

 corn. The yield in a great many cases is very remarkable. For example, 

 one boy's acre of corn will yield at least 65 bushels of corn-, and in addition 

 to the corn there will be enough snap beans and corn middles to pay all 

 the expenses for making the corn, including rent of land and interest on 

 investment. I quote below from a letter recently received from a gentleman 

 who lives in a community where a club has been organized : "Some of the 

 boys are going to make 75 and 85 bushels per acre, and some are going to 

 make as much as 100 bushels." Another letter from a business man will 

 give some idea as to how the business men regard the work : "I think the 

 Boys' Corn Club has worked wonders in the cultivation of corn in this state. 

 I have never seen as much enthusiasm among the old farmers as now pre- 

 vails, and I feel certain that the Boys' Corn Club is largely responsible 

 for it." 



At a meeting held in northern Alabama I asked some of the boys to 

 give me an idea as to the outlook of their corn crop. One, in making a 

 report of his work, said : "Every farmer in a radius of two miles of my 

 acre has visited my corn and said, 'If you make 35 bushels of corn on this 

 acre we are going to follow your method.' " Prospects were good for a 

 yield of more than 50 bushels on this acre. The father of this boy said, 



