MAKING FARMERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 181, 27 April 1920, Page 8

MAKING FARMERS

BOYS' AGipLTURAL CLUBS

THE SCHEME IN AMERICA

"The organisation of agricultural clubs for Twys and girls is regarded in tho United States and. Canada, as the most profitable work that State agricultural .officers c«n undertake," said Captain W. B. Birks, A.1.F., to a Dominion reporter yesterday. Captain Birks is a member of the staff of tho New South Wales Agricultural Department, and he hah recently made a tour of North America in. search of information while on leave prior to demobilisation. He wns particularly impressed with the development of the agricultural. <#ub ischenw ill tho United States and Canada, and is strongly of opinion that the movement ought to be fostered in this country. "Tho scheme is general all over thu United States and Canada," said Captain Birks. , "The unit of tho agricultural club generally is, the school district. Nearly all the children in each country school are members of the clubhand are competing in some form -of ; production, probably the form common to the district in which they live. Then, for tho purposes of competition, ten or a dozen schools are grouped together. These compete with one another, and the best exhibits or results they can show aro taken to the central fata, which niay bo , State or' inter-Stato in . their ecopa. The young people raise poultry, potatoes, maize, cereals,' vegetables, dairycows, and fat stock, in fact, my thing that may interest a sufficiently / large group of them. They work under set rules, are required to keep accurate records .of .their labours, and are judgwl on the results in conjunction with their expenditure of time and monay, The details of the competitions can "be varied to suit requirements, as long as all the competitors are kept on the same footing. "The effect of these competitions m the promotion of good farming is impressively great. Tho youngi people, working under the direction of trained officers and stimulated by the competitive spirit, get results that are bound to interest the farmers. The competitors themselves are the farmers of the future, and it' • pays the State better to give instruction to the boy, whose mind is plastic and whose productive life is before him. than to the man, who may be 6et in l his ways. Tho farmor is influenced, in anv case, when he finds that the young people are getting better returns from land,' capital and labour, even in a small way. than he is doing himself. The competitors dre. required to work on a strictly commercial basis. They must keep records and" debit their products with all the charges incurred, including rent of land and cost of cultivation, calculated on current farm rates. The lesson of the competitions for the farmers usually Is that more labour should ;be put intij ;the land, and American experience shows that the lesson is not lost.

"An interesting feature of the competitions'in Canada, Ontario, and other parts of North America, is the autumn fair, at Tvhich the produce and stock raised by the .youthful members of the clubs are exhibited. Prominent stockmen and agriculturists told me that the exhibits nt these fairs compare very favourably with anything to ba'found at the ordinary farmers' fairs. ' The apfricultural clubs do, not lack support when once they have been established. Business men realise their value and are readv to givo prizes and other assistance. The scheme in Ontario does not stop at tho clubs. The clubs are linked tid with junior farmers' associations, which in turn are connected with the ordinary farmers'-as-sociations, corresponding to tho farmers' unions : and agricultural and nastoral associations in this country. A boy passes at the age of about 16 years' from the agricultural club to the' junior farmers' association, and later is transferred to tho adult organisation. The junior associations arrange for lectures and other forms of instruction, so that their members are able to extend the knowledge they gained as members of the clubs. All this goes to the. making of good farmers."

Captain Birks mentioned ■ that lie had met : Mr. W. Stuart Wilson, who had been. taking a prominent part in the introduction -of the agricultural clubs' scheme to New, Zealand. Mr. Wilson had prepared a booklet, showing what had been done already, quoting the opinions of sonio of New Zealand's foremost citizens, and suggesting that the Prince of Wales should bo asked to use his great personal influencp for the encouragement of boys' agricultural, clubs throughout the British Eninire. The suggestion, said Captain Birks. was attractive. His own observations convinced him that the scheme was worthy, of all the commendation given it and of all the support that could be accorded to it.