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vice in preparing them for their future work, whether that work 
be on a farm or in some other occupation or profession. The club 
activities are mainly in the form of contests in judging grains and 
animals, with some field work, such as growing corn, potatoes, or 
similar crops. The field operations are restricted to quite small 
areas, and to comparatively few varieties of products. 
In order that opportunity to become acquainted with agricul- 
tural operations may be given to those who have left the public 
school and from whose ranks the future farmers and their wives 
must be supplied, the farmers' institutes in several States have 
organized and are now conducting what are known as ''institutes 
for young people." 
Because of the fundamental difficulty in securing teachers capa- 
ble of giving vocational instruction in agriculture in the rural 
schools, and from the fact that after the scholars leave school no 
provision has been made for giving them opportunity to receive 
such instruction, the farmers' institute has undertaken the train- 
ing in agriculture of rural children after leaving school. In doing 
this it has found it necessary to drop from its system of instruc- 
tion the purely educational feature and devote itself strictly to 
giving vocational instruction. Such studies and practice, there- 
fore, as the institute utilizes, have in view the perfecting of the 
individual in his vocation. The institute system, therefore, par- 
takes more nearly than any other of the trade-school method, and 
is intended for youth above 14 years of age. It differs from the 
work carried on by other agencies employed in training country 
youth in that its primary object is to build up a better agriculture 
by teaching young people methods for increasing crops, improv- 
ing animals, restoring worn-out soils, and disposing in a profitable 
way of the products of farms. It is undertaking to teach youth 
how to make money in agriculture. 
The fact that there can be no physical compulsion exerted in 
bringing those who are to be reached to attend upon any course 
of teaching makes it necessary to employ other methods for secur- 
ing their attendance and attention. There are at least two char- 
acteristics in the rural youth that can be depended upon to respond 
to proper appeal — ambition and love of gain. With respect to the 
first, young people are naturally interested in a subject or exercise 
when presented in the form of a contest. Their plays for the most 
part are of this nature. When properly planned and conducted 
such exercises not only interest young people, but they possess in 
addition features of great practical and educational value. They 
stimulate the creative faculties of the contestants, teach the rela- 
tion between cause and effect, develop power and desire to do 
things, show how to apply previous knowledo-e derived from books 
or school to solving: the problems of life, and by keeping the mind 
occupied with useful purposes they stimulate to further and more 
determined effort. The contest method, therefore, has wisely been 
adopted by the institute for awakening interest and creating 
enthusiasm among young people in agricultural operations. 
