Agricultural Clubs

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 708, 6 July 1929, Page 13

Agricultural Clubs

AID TO BETTER FARMING

Chance for Farmers’ Union

MUCH has been heard recently in certain quarters regarding the advisability of establishing boys’ and girls’ stock and agricultural clubs on a wide scale, but, so far, nothing of a tangible natime has been done. It seems that another year will £0 by with the idea still a topic of occasional discussion around the board tables of various local organisations.

The idea of stock and agricultural dabs is not entirely new to New Zealand. Clubs, more or less on the lines °* those established overseas, have been In operation in parts of the Dominion for years, bur, generally, they have been the result ol the efforts of some enthusiast who re-

ceived little thanks for the time ana labour involved. There nas been no concerted movement by the Farmers’ Union, the associated A. and F. asso eiations, or any similar organisation to foster their establishment through out the Dominion, generallv. Wonderful growth has attended the

i establishment of the movement in | America. The first chib was begun j in Kansas with a membership of 75 j children. Today more than 1.000.000 J American children belong to pig, calf, I poultry and corn clubs, and they pro- | duce more than £1,500,000 worth of ! produce annually. Rural districts of I England have also embraced the \ movement, and considerable assistance j has been given by the Ministry of ' Agriculture and local government | authorities. 1 Little or no difficulty has oeen en j countered in the financing of clubs j wherever they have been inaugurated I A popular practice is for each member of a newly-formed club to sign a promissory note for the ni'chase of stock. This note would be backed by the guarantee of the parents that the stock would not be sold or re moved from the guarantor’s house oi farm until paid for. In some cases public companies, institutions, Bo> Scout troops. Girl Guide companies j and groups of residents in country | districts provide the initial capital. J In other cases the stock has been lent j to the children by their parents. With . j few exceptions- it has been found that

| most clubs are self-supporting at the I j end of the first year, when any bor- | I rowed capital can usually be repaid. 5 ( With a view to facilitating the de- ] velopment of the Victorian primary j industries the calf club movement was initiated in the State some vears ago. In many districts the idea was very favourably received by farmers’ child- | ren, and results have shown that the ; movement is likely to extend consideri ably in the near future. In the most | developed districts in Victoria circum- | stances and conditions are ideal for i the formation of these clubs.

Queensland lias concentrated more or less upon pig clubs, and the Department of Agriculture and Stock is taking keen interest in their control. The department began by' interesting school teachers, and enlisting the cooperation of school committees, parents and relatives of children. One of the most attractive features of the stock club movement is the holding of miniattire shows at which members of the club are the exhibitors. In many other cases children’s stock club exhibits form an important section at country agricultural shows. An illustration of what can be accomplished by children is afforded by the experience of a family club established at Wyuna South some years ago. A dairy farmer in that district who was making a fairly successful living on his property had alway’s kept a good herd of mixed dairy cows. He had never used any but a purebred sire. His children, however, considered that further improvement might be effected in the herd. They wanted to have purebred cows as well. Four of the children, two boys and two girls, saved their pocket-money and

bought two purebred heifer calves. They reared these calves successfully. In a few years the two heifers were entered for the Government standard herd test. In five years they had produced 15,142 gallons of milk and 5.5151 b. of butter-fat. The total revenue excluding the value of their progeny amounted to £587. The children now have five heifers and four bull calves, the progeny of the original two calves.

Children who have no facilities for rearing large stock will often find it profitable to take up pouitry-keepiug on the club system. When the Better Farming train visited Cohuua in 1925 a youth, aged 17 years, son of a farmer, attended a lecture given by a poultry expert. On his father’s farm at that time there were 12 fowls, which laid eggs occasionally. The boy bought a pair of purebred Leghorn fowls, and for the year ended June, 1927, he bred more than 250 pullets, paid for all his sheds, and a 500-egg incubator, in addition to clearing £127 for the 12 months. When the Better Farming train visited Cohurta in July, 1927, the youth had in hand orders to supply 900 chickens. The idea of stock clubs could be carried to all branches cf farming with the same degree of success. Wherever possible, however, the services of an officer of the Agricultural Department should be enlisted for advisory purposes. Realising the value of the clubs to the community in helping to interest the rising generation in better farming methods, it seems regrettable that the subject should be one merely for platitudes around isolated board tables. Something of a comprehensive nature should be done. There is certainly a great opportunity awaiting the Farmers’ Union or the A. and P. Associations of the Dominion.