J 922. J 



Young Farmers' <^lubs. 



1071 



by demonstrating to the young people that labour intelligently 

 applied to farming brings satisfactory returns. 



The fact that the Club members conduct all their own Club 

 business on their own initiative, instructs them in the proper 

 conduct of public business, and prepares them for leadership 

 in public life. It encourages them to speak in public, and this 

 develops self-reliance and self-confidence. 



Morally, the scheme achieves even more. It is often com- 

 plained that boys and girls in rural communities have no 

 outlet for their boundless mental and physical energy. The 

 Young Farmers' Club gives them a fascinating and inspiring 

 occupation, and provides them with a definite purpose at an 

 important period of their lives. They are drawn together by 

 the Club, and thus isolation is diminished, and budding talent 

 for leadership is developed. The " mute inglorious Miltons " 

 are taught to express themselves, and their eyes are drawn to 

 a wider horizon of endeavour and achievement. 



Love of home and country, and loyalty and respect for 

 constituted authority are first-fruits of the teaching of the 

 Clubs, and they assist in the development of a fine spirit of 

 co-operation in the community. 



In America the movement has reached tremendous propor- 

 tions. Of students taking the regular course in agriculture 

 and home economics in the State Colleges in 1920 over 1,800 

 were boys and girls who had been members of the Clubs, while 

 -over 3,300 club boys and girls took short courses at the col- 

 leges, 730 having won scholarships through their club work.' 



One of the great merits of the movement as manifested in 

 America is that it is splendidly resultful as propaganda for 

 pure-bred stock. It is a matter of actual record that during 

 1920 5,000 farmers were led to replace poor-bred pigs with 

 pure-breds as a result of the pig club work of the clubs. 



In 1920, 3,000 poultry-club members in the Northern and 

 Western States introduced 38,000 pure-bred fowls on their 

 home farms and raised 155,000 chickens. 



In the same year there were over 216,000 American boys 

 and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 years engaged in the 

 work of J 4,000 ciabs. The actual financial output for the year 

 was over $4,600,000, which is eloquent evidence of the sound 

 business basis of the movement. 



In the Northern and Western States of America the club 

 work is recognised as of such importance that 200 counties 

 employ county club agents to co-operate with districts in 



