4 BULLETIN 132, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PRIZES. 



The matter of prizes is of great importance. While the various 

 contests of the club members have for their primary object the assist- 

 ance of the teacher and the public schools to find an easy approach, 

 educationally, to all the interests of rural and village life and to form 

 a connecting link between parent and teacher, farm, and school, it is 

 found that prizes are necessary to secure the best results. An attempt 

 should be made to offer a large number of prizes. Among the prizes 

 suggested by the Bureau of Plant -Industry as suitable awards in 

 club contests, the following may be mentioned: 



(1) Free trips and expenses paid to district and State fairs, educational institu- 



tions, summer Chautauquas, etc. 



(2) Top buggy, saddle, gold watch, automobile, etc. 



(3) Clear title to one or more acres of land (to encourage land ownership). 



(4) Farm implements, tools, equipment, etc. 



(5) Thoroughbred pigs, cattle, horses, mules, pen of chickens. 



(6) Club emblems, banners, and pennants. 



(7) Manual-training workbench, set of toools, camera, trunk, leather handbag, 



writing desk, etc. 



(8) Poultry equipment, such as incubators, watering and feeding troughs, brooders, 



fencing, and gates. 



(9) Free tuition to short courses in agricultural and mechanical colleges and regu- 



lar courses in colleges. 



(10) Canvas tent, camp outfit, canoe, hunting equipment, baseball suit, and suit 



of clothes. 



(11) Dictionary, encyclopedia, set of agricultural books, special club library, series 



of books of standard literature. 



(12) Subscriptions to farm journals, magazines, and special periodicals for boys. 



School credit should be given to every member of the club who 

 cariies to completion some one club project. Eveiy boy and girl 

 should be taught the real meaning and value of a prize and that a 

 realization of work well done is the true reward of effort. 



HOW TO KEEP UP THE CLUB INTEREST. 



The success of the rural school elub depends largely upon the coopera- 

 tion of the rural school teacher, county superintendent of education, 

 farm-demonstration agent, and the State college of agriculture. 

 Shortly after the club is organized in any rural school the teacher 

 should submit the names of the members to the county superinten- 

 dent of education, who will assist in furnishing the club with litera- 

 ture directing them in the work. The teacher will find it advan- 

 tageous to have the county demonstration agent make talks before 

 the school, as well as visit the contestants' home projects as he makes 

 his rounds from time to time. The teacher should visit the homes of 

 all club members and, together with the boys and girls and any other 

 members of their families, go to the prize acres, etc., and have the 

 owners tell the methods of preparing the soil, fertilizing, and thus 



