OTHER EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES 383 



forces. Results of this work were extended gradually to the 

 other states until the Boys' Corn Club Movement as a part of 

 the general scheme of education through demonstration became 

 a very large factor in southern agricultural work. 



The Boys' Club Work was organized mainly through the 

 schools. The county agent was recognized as the agricultural 

 authority and gave the boys instruction. The school teachers 

 generally acted as the organizers of the clubs. The county super- 

 intendent was a good cooperator. The state superintendent often 

 assisted materially with the work. Prizes were contributed by 

 local business men ; the bankers became interested and often 

 gave considerable money for prizes for these contests. The 

 local co-ntest and the county and state contest soon became very 

 important and interesting events. In 1909 four state prize win- 

 ners received free trips to Washington, D. C. For a number of 

 years these annual trips attracted much attention. This plan 

 was abandoned in 1914 for the better system of scholarship 

 prizes. Since then the chief annual prize in the state has been 

 a scholarship at the Agricultural College. Pig Clubs, Baby Beef 

 Clubs, Clover Clubs, etc., are but a natural evolution which 

 came with the years. 



In 1911 the number of county agents had reached 583, the 

 number of demonstrators and cooperators had reached 100,000, 

 and the number of boys approximately 51,000. 



In 1910 Dr. S. A. Knapp began to develop a part of the work 

 for women and girls. It was his belief that he had thus far 

 planned the work for the father and son. He desired to com- 

 plete the work by doing something for the mother and daugh- 

 ter. 



In October, 1910, he wrote: 



The Demonstration Work has proven that it is possible to reform, by 

 simple means, the economic life and the personality of the farmer on 

 the farm. The Boys' Corn Clubs have likewise shown how to turn the 

 attention of the boy toward the farm. There remains the home itself and 

 its women and girls. This problem can not be approached directly. The 

 reformer who tells the farmer and his wife that their entire home system 

 is wrong will meet with failure. With these facts in view I have gone to 

 work among the girls to teach one simple and straight-forward lesson 

 which will open their eyes to the possibilities of adding to the family 

 income through sin: pie work in and about the home. 



