No. 4.] BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUB WORK. 183 



Board of Agriculture in co-operation with the college was to 

 secure the enactment of a law giving a State bounty for this 

 work to the agricultural and horticultural societies under their 

 control. This annual bounty to each society amounts to $200. 

 The money must be expended in prizes at the fairs held by 

 these societies for agricultural and home economics products of 

 children and youths not over eighteen years of age. This has 

 been a great stimulus to young people in the study of agri- 

 culture. It has added interest to the fair exhibits. In many 

 instances the exhibits in this department are superior to those 

 in the adult departments. Another important action on the 

 part of the Board of Agriculture was the inclusion in their 

 budget a few years ago of an item of $1,000 for State prizes 

 to boys and girls in half-acre and acre contests. This sum was 

 later increased to $2,000. The result of this action will appear 

 more fully under the topic, "Lines of Work." The intimate 

 relationship of this co-operation is shown by the further facts 

 that the head of the Department of Agricultural Education is 

 the specialist in charge of agricultural club work of the Board of 

 Agriculture, and the extension professor of agricultural education 

 directs and supervises the contests for the State prizes. All re- 

 ports and records of the contests for State prizes are kept at the 

 college in the office of the Department of Agricultural Education. 

 The United States Department of Agriculture has become in 

 recent years a very important co-operating agency. This is 

 achieved through the States Relations Service working directly 

 with the Extension Service of the Massachusetts ^Agricultural 

 College. Under a Federal grant, a considerable sum is available 

 for extension work in Massachusetts. This money is appor- 

 tioned in Washington among various bureaus, such as plant 

 industry, animal husbandry and the like. The money thus 

 received is paid in salaries to extension workers. The privilege 

 of using the government frank within certain restrictions is also 

 granted. This privilege is held by the extension professor of 

 agricultural education, who represents the Federal government 

 as State agent in charge of Boys' and Girls' Clubs. In addition 

 to financial aid the Federal government assists in the promotion 

 of the work by means of conferences of club leaders, and gives 

 instruction by demonstrations and short-term schools of can- 



