WOMEX^S RURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES. 9 



progressive farm women in the locality, made a study of the extent 

 to which members of their club were selling farm products. It was 

 found that during the past year seven members had sold nearly 

 $1,000 worth of farm products, including eggs, chickens, canned 

 goods, pigs, and butter. Some members were cooperating in shipping 

 eggs, and others were carrying eggs a number of miles for shipment 

 when they could have shipped with their friends near by. One 

 member was securing high prices for infertile eggs and had more 

 customers than she could supply, while others were willing to assist 

 in supplying infertile eggs to the trade. The advantages of various 

 methods of marketing were discussed by members from their own 

 experiences. 



Practical experiments in marketing have been carried on by a 

 number of women's rural clubs in Pike County, 111., which have 

 aided members in marketing farm products, especially eggs and 

 chickens. The rural club encouraged the work among its members 

 and secured names of prospective buyers from clubs of city women, 

 and while neither city nor country clubs assumed any financial 

 responsibility, they stood for upright dealings on the part of members 

 and thus helped to establish the necessary confidence between 

 people personally unknown to each other. 



By creating an interest in natural history and in agricultural 

 education among girls and boys, women's rural clubs are endeavoring 

 to prepare them to take advantage of agricultural opportunities 

 already open. Agricultural shows and exhibits stimulating com- 

 petition in production are fostered by rural clubs in many localities. 

 In Massachusetts a woman lecturer of a local grange arranged for 

 such an exhibit, where 59 varieties of grasses were displayed, together 

 with rare woods, such as blue beech and iron wood, to be found m the 

 locality. The bkd department exhibited lists of 90 birds which 

 had been seen in the neighborhood, and the flower department showed 

 160 classified flowers. Junior Audubon societies have been organized 

 by women's clubs, the children holding classes and studying birds 

 under the direction of members of the clubs. While these studies 

 may not m all cases have direct bearing upon agricultural produc- 

 tion, they frequently stimulate an interest in practical agriculture. 

 The Women Farmers Club of Missouri has offered an annual scholar- 

 ship of $25 for the study of practical farmmg to the girl who scores 

 highest in planting and cultivating a certain amount of ground 

 according to the rules of the boys' corn contest. 



Many clubs are instrumental in obtaining better opportunities for 

 reading. Volunteer hbrarians gather Government buUetms on 

 agriculture and other material of interest in rural communities, and 

 lend them to members of the community. The women's clubs of 

 the State of Montana have cooperated in what is called a vocational 



