CHAPTER VIII 



THE DEMONSTRATION WORK IN INCIDENT, STORY 



AND SONG 



WITH so many thousands of people as performers in 

 so great an enterprise, much of incident and anecdote 

 naturally develops. Some of the vrorkers are inspired to 

 write poetry and song. Specimens of such literature are 

 preserved here as a part of the history of the movement. 

 Dr. Knapp, himself, wrote some of his instructions in the 

 .narrative of the dialogue. His Uncle John Stories were 

 widely read. This form of expression was much used in 

 appealing to the members of the Boys' Clubs, through the 

 agricultural papers. The boys readily grasped such in- 

 struction. 



The following is one of the first of the ''Uncle John 

 Stories": 



"One day last spring I called on Uncle John and we went into 

 the field to see his cotton and corn. Uncle John is a fine, old con- 

 servative farmer as good and true as men are made, but when he was 

 a boy farming was done with the plow and the hoe by hard muscle. 

 No one ever thought of attaching brains to them. As we entered the 

 field Uncle John remarked: Tou see my stand is not as good as I 

 wanted. I planted a full bushel of seed and a little thrown in extra. 

 It was good cotton seed. I got it from the gin and the plants came 

 up thick enough in most places to raise the crust, but in some places 

 they did not come up at all. A good many of the plants died, 

 though I gave the crop a good hoeing and kept the grass out. I 

 believe in clean cultivation, and for this there is no implement that 

 quite equals the hoe." 



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