UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE benj. ide wheeler, pres. dent THOMAS F. HUNT, DEAN AND DIRECTOR BERKELEY CIRCULAR No. 80 (October, 1912) BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUBS BY E. B. BABCOCK, W. G. HUMMEL AND F. L. GRIFFIN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS BERKELEY BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUBS What they are. — Boys' and girls' agricultural clubs are organiza- tions of young people who agree to study together about agriculture and domestic arts, make gardens for home and school, and try experi- ments for the improvement of the crops they grow. What are their purposes. — The chief purposes of these clubs are briefly as follows: 1. To afford the teacher a simple and easy method of teaching practical agriculture and domestic arts in the best possible way, namely, by actual work in growing plants, rearing animals, or prepar- ing articles of food or clothing. 2. To show that there is more in the soil than the farmer has gotten out of it ; to inspire boys with a love of the land by showing them how they can get wealth out of it and thus be helpful to the family and the neighborhood; to inspire girls with an appreciation of domestic arts by helping them to discover what they themselves can do in bettering their surroundings. 3. To give both girls and boys a definite, worthy purpose and to stimulate friendly rivalry among them. Where they have succeeded. — Nearly all the great agricultural states of the middle west have had successful experience with boys' and girls' agricultural clubs. Most states from Maine to Louisiana and from Florida to Oregon have had some of these clubs and in some states many thousands of young people belong to them. "We want thousands of California boys and girls to join these clubs. Who will help. — 1. The principal, special supervisor or school superintendent will probably be glad to arrange a meeting and help in the work of organizing. 2. The teacher will be glad to be a learner with the members while she leads in making plans for study, contests and exhibitions. The teacher should not hesitate to interest herself in the activity which is of most interest to the pupils even though she may know very little about it. She should frankly become a learner with the club members, using her best judgment in guiding their club work after advising with the most reliable friends of the school. 3. The local grange, farmers' union, farmers' club, chamber of commerce, or board of trade will probably cooperate in every way possible. 4. The city and county Superintendents of Schools will be fur- nished with special circulars on agricultural club contests by the College of Agriculture. Apply to your nearest superintendent for these. 5. The instructors in agriculture in the normal schools, farm schools and high schools will doubtless give all possible assistance. 6. The College of Agriculture of the University of California will answer any inquiries sent there. Address Dean of College of Agri- culture, Berkeley, Cal. 7. The Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, will send, free of cost, valuable pamphlets, farmers' bulletins, etc., that will instruct the members on almost any line of study they may undertake. What work may he undertaken. — Clubs should choose topics which are of interest to the greatest number. When the girls are more inter- ested in things pertaining to home making than in growing crops or raising animals, they may organize separately for study of cooking, sewing, etc. The boys, on the other hand, may wish to study some particular crop, such as potatoes, wheat, corn or cotton. But many clubs will consist of both boys and girls who are interested in raising sweet peas, trees or poultry, or making butter. All these lines of study may lead up to contests and exhibitions. On account of the wide diversity of interests it has been thought wise to plan a series of contests suitable for any of the various clubs above mentioned. Suggestions for Organizing Agricultural Club Contests 7. Following are the contests proposed for 1912-13 : Class A. For boys. 1. Crop growing — potatoes, wheat, corn, lima beans, sugar beets, cotton. 2. Hog raising. Class B. For girls. 1. Cooking. 2. Sewing. 3. Canning. Class C. For boys and girls. 1. Sweet pea growing. 2. Poultry raising. 3. Butter making. 4. Tree growing. Besides the above subjects for study and contests, clubs may choose from a large variety of other topics, such as squab raising, rabbit rais- ing, bee keeping, rose culture, chrysanthemum growing, etc., etc. But, for the present, the College of Agriculture does not agree to furnish special circulars of instruction upon topics other than those listed above. Unit of Organization. — A club may consist of only five members. Hence there may be a club in any school. But numbers lend enthusi- asm and it is hoped that school superintendents wil encourage the formation of county or city clubs on the representative basis, have officers and an advisory committee. With such an organization county or city exhibits can be arranged and county awards offered either to local clubs collectively or to individuals. This plan is working suc- cessfully in other states. II. Exhibits, prizes, premiums and certificates A school or a town or a group of schools or towns through their clubs should hold exhibitions. They will display the products grown or articles cooked, sewed, or canned. Certificates and badges should be awarded to all who do well. Two grades or standards of excellence may be recognized by both certificates and badges, for those achieving first grade and only the certificate for those attaining second grade. Individual prizes of money are not to be encouraged. The work well done will bring adequate returns. Some suitable award to the club collectively for the largest number of individual certificates secured will promote good team work and community interest. At the same time such individual award as a trip to a county or district fair, to the state fair, an agricultural experiment station or farm, or a poly- technic school will serve both to educate the winner and as a proper incentive to individual effort. III. Rules for Contestants Each club may formulate its own plans and rules. When several clubs engage in a joint contest a committee should arrange the rules. Here are some suggestions : 1. Only members may engage in the contests. 2. Each member is allowed to make only one exhibit entry in a contest. 3. Each contestant must be between the ages of 3 and 10. (The age limits may be changed if thought advisable.) 4. Each contestant for the certificate of award must prepare the soil, test plant, cultivate and harvest crop, all without assistance, except that when plowing, spading, hauling, weighing, etc., is too heavy work for the contestant, he may have assistance, but shall direct the work. 5. Each contestant must study the score card or circulars recommended to him. 6. Each contestant must carefully fill the blank on ' ' How the Crop was Grown," or similar report. 7. Each contestant 's report must be endorsed by his parent or guardian and countersigned by his teacher. 8. All exhibits are to be the property of contestants at the close of the exhibit unless the advisory committee rules otherwise. (They may be sold at auction to meet expenses of exhibit if necessary.) TV. How to make a beginning The teacher or another interested party should call a meeting of the boys and girls. Ask the principal or superintendent or some friend to be present and help organize. A notice somewhat like the following may be put in the paper or sent by mail : Notice The boys and girls over years of age in School and any others who wish to join them are cordially invited to meet at the school on , , ]91 , at o'clock. The object of this meeting is to organize for the purpose of engaging in contests this year. Each contestant will be supplied with directions for the work. Certificates of award for the best work have been offered by If you want to enjoy a lively and happy competition do not fail to come and join the club. Bring your parents or friends if they are interested. Be on time. The meeting will open promptly. V. Enrollment Record After a full explanation has been made of the general objects of the club, blanks like the following may be distributed and signed by those who wish to join. Enrollment Card I wish to join the Club and hereby promise to follow all the rules of membership and contests. {Sign here) Age at nearest birthday Date of birth Town School Teacher P.O. Address VI. Adopt a Constitution Each club will choose its own constitution, which should be simple. Members present at time of adoption may sign it as charter members, and other members should be elected as provided in the constitution. The following outline may help in writing the constitution of a club. Outline of Constitution Article I. — Name of Club. Article II.— Object of Club. Article III. — Membership (including badge or button and a provision for honorary membership if desired). Article IV. — Officers. A president, one vice-president from each school, when two or more schools compose the same club, and an advisory committee con- sisting of persons in the community or elsewhere who will aid in promoting the interests of the club. The principal or a teacher may well serve as chairman of the advisory committee. Article V. — Duties of members. (As prescribed in the rules for contests.) Article VI- — Duties of Officers. (Defined as usual in such organizations.) In addition it shall be the duty of the secretary to report at least once each year to the County or City Superintendent of Schools. The advisory committee shall arrange for all public contests and exhibits, the procuring and awarding of certificates, the sending of letters and circulars of information, the general meetings of the club, and reporting of statistics and other information to the public. VII. The First Work After the constitution has been adopted and officers elected the next step will be to select the first work to be undertaken. In this the advisory committee will be ready to help. If the club is started in the winter months a study of some kind should begin. This should lead to something definite in the work to be done in spring and summer. Some of the special circulars will suggest references for study. After actual work has been decided on there should be definite rules for the conduct of any contest that may be proposed. These should be prepared by the advisory committee and agreed to on the part of members. VIII. The Final Report Whether an exhibit is held or not each contestant should make a complete report upon the particular crop or animal raised or article made. When no exhibit is held the awarding of certificates must be made on the basis of these reports. The following forms are suggested : HOW THE CROP WAS GROWN 1. Grown by , School 2. Postoffiee address 3. Area of plot in sq. rods or lengths of rows (Not less than acre.) 4. Kind of soil, loamy, sandy, clayey, adobe, peaty 5. Kind of crop grown on it the year before 6. Kind of crop grown on it the second year before 7. Kind and amount of fertilizer used 8. Cost and value of fertilizer 9. Date of plowing or spading Hours required: self ; horse 10. Depth of plowing or spading in inches 11. Additional preparation of the ground: (a) How many times disked or hoed when (&) How many times harrowed or raked when (c) How otherwise prepared (d) Total hours work of preparation: self ; horse 12. Kind of crop planted Variety name 13. Seed procured from 14. Quantity used for seed 15. Number of hills, drills or sq. rods planted What fraction of an acre 16. Date of planting , 191 17. Date when plants first came up 18. Date of each irrigation, if any 19. Date of each cultivation or hoeing 20. Total hours cultivation: self ; horse 21. Total hours irrigation Cost of water 22. Date of first product ready for market , 191 23. Date of any frost on the crop , 191 24. Date of harvesting , 191 25. Number of specimens selected 26. Date of selecting specimens for exhibit , 191 27. Notes on specimens at the time of exhibit 28. Was the selecting done without any other person present? 29. Was all the work of production done by the contestant? (except plowing, spading, weighing, or hauling) 30. Total number of hours worked 31. Total number of hours horse worked 32. Value of own work at cents per hour, $ 33. Value of horse's work at cents per hour, $ 34. Value of ground rent for crop at per acre, $ 35. Value of fertilizers used, $ Of water, $ 36. Value of salable crop at 37. Profit on the season's work, $ I hereby certify that the above report is true. (Signed) Parent or Guardian. Teacher. CONDITIONS GOVERNING POULTRY CONTESTS 1. The best brood of chickens hatched by a mother hen and raised by the contestant. 2. Number of eggs set. 3. Number of chickens hatched. 4. Date of hatching. 4. Variety of chickens, if any. 6. How cared for from date of birth until contest is over. 7. What kind of feed used. 8. How much food used per each chicken. 9. Time spent each day in caring for the poultry. 10. Kind of poultry house used. (Give full description.) 11. How often is poultry house cleaned? 12. Date first egg is laid. 13. Age of chicken when first egg is laid. 14. Total number of eggs laid. 15. Average price of eggs. 16. Cost of food used. 17. Amount received by sale of eggs or value of eggs if not sold. 18. Each fowl to be banded with leg-band and a record kept of the number. 19. Number of fowls in contest to be not less than 5 nor more than 25 for each contest. 20. Contest to begin December 1, 1912, and end November 30, 1913. 21. In case exhibit is made it should consist of one male and four females CONDITIONS GOVERNING HOG CONTEST 1. Each contestant must submit a written report giving a detailed account of the care and feeding of the pig from birth. 2. Any type of pig may be raised. 3. If at any time the pig is sick give full account of its illness, together with any unnatural conditions during its growth and development. 4. Describe the housing of the pig. 5. All reports must be submitted to the Superintendent, who will select the contestants and request them to bring their pigs to the contest, or the judges may visit and score each pig, announcing the prize winners later. 6. At the time of the contest the pig must be between 3 and 8 months old. 7. The prizes will be given on the merits of the animal showing the best form and finish, and for market condition. Sow and Litter Contest The rules governing the sow and litter contest will be the same as the first five of the single pig contest. The ages of the pigs to be between one and three months old. The prizes should be given for the best sow and litter as regards size of litter, health, thrift and uniformity of pigs. Care of the sow ten days before farrowing.