182 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



setts Agricultural College in promoting the Boys' and Girls' 

 Clubs. In addition to the above, there is a large number of 

 local organizations, such as town improvement clubs, women's 

 clubs, local financial institutions, and numerous private parties 

 that are giving money, time and service in furthering this great 

 enterprise. Space forbids giving more than a mere suggestion 

 of these numerous agencies in their co-operative efforts. 



Through the courteous helpfulness of the educational authori- 

 ties of the State the schools are opened as avenues for reaching 

 the boys and girls. This makes the work of interesting the 

 young people quite simple because they are so accessible. After 

 the children have been interested and enrolled, many superin- 

 tendents and teachers come forward with service, devoting time 

 and eflfort to this work that under other conditions they would 

 devote to other school functions. 



One branch of the public school service of the State is 

 becoming more and more helpful. This consists of the voca- 

 tional schools and vocational departments of agriculture. In 

 certain towns where these schools or departments have become 

 actively interested the club work shows splendid results. The 

 work of the young children in the home and school garden 

 clubs reacts favorably upon the agricultural schools and agri- 

 cultural departments in increased attendance. 



On the financial side, both towns and cities are beginning to 

 devote some part of the school funds to the furthering of this 

 work by the employment of paid supervision of the gardens 

 and other projects of the boys and girls during the summer. 



The State Board of Agriculture has been sympathetically 

 active in the promotion of the Boys' and Girls' Clubs for 

 several years past. In fact, the first public meeting at which 

 such work was seriously discussed was held in the office of the 

 Board of Agriculture. This meeting was held in the spring of 

 1908, under the auspices of the New England Conference on 

 Rural Progress. It was addressed by the late Dr. Seaman A. 

 Knapp. He described his work in the south in behalf of the 

 " one-gallussed-f armer " and the "boys' acre contest." The 

 Board's officials at the State House have, on many occasions 

 since then, arranged meeting places for annual conferences for 

 promoting the work. The most notable thing done by the 



