The Other Side of Boy Labor 
A Successful Long Island Camp 
OW IT STARTKI).—T read your article on “City 
r.oys as Farm Workers." I would like to tell of a 
camii that I had on my farm last Summer. In the 
latter part of INIay. 1!)17. I was havin.i,' a .m'eat deal 
of troul)le .tryin.i? to get experienced farm workers. 
The.v were not to he found. Then I went .scouting 
for hoys. I heard of a INIr. Crossley, a teacher of 
Fnglish in the Itusliwick High School, who thought 
of starting a boy.s’ camp. I telephoned liim and 
learned that lie might he aide to get a few hoys from 
school. We talked matters over, and I agreed to 
give him the use of a hungalow on the farm. In 
a hunt a week the camp was started with four hoy.s. 
himself as manager. At first I was skeiitical. luit I 
was willing to give them a chance, and so were the 
other farmers in the neighhorhood. The hoys were 
intelligent, willing and .<iuick to learn. The first 
joh I gave them was the worst hack-hreaking joh 
anyone could have, and that was elearing a potato 
field of \vild morning-glory weeds. They stuck to it 
and did the work thoroughly, and. at the end of the 
first day each hoy admitted that he Avas tiivd and 
willing to “hit the cot.” 
THE CAMP SCIIEDTH,E.—P.y the time this joh was 
finished the Brooklyn school could spare about 20 hoys 
from 10 to 20 years of agin and as the farmers were 
all anxious to have them, they were added to the 
camp. The manager of the camp decided there were 
enough hoys now to call a meeting to make rules 
and regulations for the camp. They agived to have 
a cook at $40 a month, and a .schedule was arranged 
by Avhich each member took his turn in doing kitchen 
duty at night, viz..’ to get the wood and water, wash 
dishes, etc. Their Avages Avere to he l-l cents an hour 
to begin Avith and increased to 20 and 25 cents an 
hour. They Avere to rise at (> a. m., breakfast at (>.30, 
followed by roll call. At 7 a. m., sharp, each sipiad, 
under a sipiad leader, under the supervision of the 
manager, Avas Avhere it Avas supposed to he. The 
squad leader Avas responsible for the hoys in every 
instance, and they realized their responsibility. The 
squad leader had to report to the manager, or camp 
leader, Avho keiit a strict Avatch on all. 
A GOOD SYi’'TEM. — A careful account Avas kept 
of the hours Avorked. and consequently every hoy Avas 
paid for every hour he AA’oi’ked, and for that only. 
At the end of each week their accounts Avere hal- 
anci'd and each received pay for the hours AVorked, 
Avith his hoard deducted. If any hoy had friends for 
meals he paid 25 cents a meal for each one. The 
discipline was one of the best features of the camp. 
The manager alloAved no smoking, no SAvearing, and 
a spirit of good feeling ptu’vaded at all times. They 
Averi' deiiendahle. and we realized Avhat a fine thing 
it was to have hoys Avho could folloAV directions and 
do Avhat they Avere told, and do it Avell. /fhey Avere 
careful of the machinery and put everything hack in 
place Avheii not in use. We kneAV the hoys Avould he 
on the Joh Monda.v as Avell as Saturday. I lirnily be¬ 
lieve that the Iioys were henetited by the Summer’s 
Avork. iiliysiciilly as Avell as linanciall.v. They en¬ 
joyed their games of hall in the evening, and their 
camp tire, telling stories and giving accounts of their 
day's Avork. During the latter part of the Summer, 
after school opened, the hoys devoted three hours a 
day to their studies. They Avere able to make as 
liigh as $5 a day picking potatoes at five cents per 
bushel. The manager donated his Avhole vacation to 
the patriotic duty of .suiiervising the canqi. 
EXI’ENSES OF EQUIIAIEXT. —The camp outfit, 
including four hicycle.s, cost $250. Each hoy paid 15 
cents a Aveek for the use of his eipiipment. The 
equipment Avas bought Avith money loaned by the 
teachers of the school. I hope the farm camp Avill 
he made a permanent institution, for last year made 
us realize Avhat a line thing it is. A numlter of 
farmers in this vicinity Avere henetited. and Ave claim 
ii; Avas a succes.s. I think this plan as good as can 
he devised. The farmers held a meeting in April of 
this year and voted unanimously to have a camp 
established this year. ikvixg n. .sqlikk. 
Long Island. 
The Rattlesnake and His Poison 
E VEKY year Ave have a numlier of letters from ik'o- 
ple Avho ask ([uestions about rattlesnakes. Same 
of them have been bitten or stung and relate their 
ex])erience. Avhile others think that the common harm¬ 
less snakes found in cA'ery community are dangerous. 
All such people Avill he interested in Bulletin S'.‘>. i.s- 
sued by the Arizona Experiment Station, at Tuc.son. 
This is entitled “The I’oisouous Animals of the Des- 
A C,rou]f> of Broolclj/n Bchoolhom ot Farm Work on Long Iftland. FUj. 37/f 
