. pAKr-w -\ V) w‘ L14. .... wev 22 mm g BULLETIN OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF fTEXAS. , . OCTOBER, 1915. A‘ . 'Z"4 Z (V95 Q ‘ x or‘ Wig y I i, EXTENSIQNrJSERYiQEY ‘i T‘ OF N457 Ir Tfi E h‘ Bulletin N?§.$B_12..O.__,/P 15'" i Boys’ Agricultural Club Work Rules Governing Boys’ Agricultural Club \Vork and Suggestions Concerning Organization. Clarence Ousley, Director Extension Service, College, Station, Texas. Co-opverative Ertension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Agricultural and _ Mechanical College of Texas and U. S_ Department of Agri- culture Co-operating. THIS BULLETIN SHOULD BE KEPT IN A CONVENIENT PLACE FOR FRE- QUENT REFERENCE 7 BOYS’ AGRICULTURAL CLUB WORK. By H. H. Williamson, Assistant State Agent, in Charge Boys’ Agricultural. Club Work for Texas. The Boys’ Agricultural Clu-b Work of Texas is conducted by the Extension Division of the A. and M. College of Texas in co-operation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The work embraces the growing of field crops and the raising or care of live stock, The field crops that club members are permitted to grow at present consist of corn, cotton, grain sor- ghums (milo, kafir and feterita), and peanuts; the live stock which they are permitted to raise consists of hogs, calves and lambs; and the live stock which they are permitted to care for consists of dairy cows. Other farm activi- ties will be added as the work enlarges. The object of the Boys’ Agricultural Club Work is outlined in circular A-74, Revised, United States Department of Agriculture. Each county agricultural agent in Texas has direct supervision of all club work conducted in his county. County school superintend- ents, school teachers and public spirited citi- zens desiring to organize or assist in the or- ganization of agricultural clubs, or desiring more information concerning same. should di- rect their request to the county agrcultural agent of their county. In case the county has no agricultural agent or official representative of this department, the request should be made to H. H. Williamson, Assistant State Agent in“ Chargt of Boys’ Agricultural Club Work, Col- lege Station, Texas. This department does not offer prizes to club members. The only prizes that are insured to club members are the products they produce and the increased knowledge of practical farm- ing received by practical experience and the reading 0f agricultural literature. Practically all county, district and State fair associations offer prizes as encouragement to the club mem- bers in their work. Club members are urged 3 to compete in all contests in which they are eligible. The greatest efficiency in Boys‘ Agricultural Club Wéork in any county cannot be obtained without the active co-operation of the county school superintendent. school teachers, and citizens. It is suggested and advised that in counties where Agricultural Club Work is Ibe- ing conducted or in counties where the people desire to inaugurate it, the citizens select from their number a County Agricultural Club Com- mittee consisting of five or more members. The duties of this Agricultural Club Commit- tee in general should be to organize the farm boys of their county into an Agricultural Club, encourage them in their endeavors and ar- range for county contests and entertainments, and assist as much as possible in givinglthem agricultural instruction, etc. This County Agri- gricultural Club Committee should consist of the county agricultural agent, the county school superintendent and as many other active, pwb- lic spirited citizens as are needed. The county agricultural agent should be chairman of this committee, as he is the representative o! the Extension Department of the A. and M. College. In counties Where agents are not employed, the county school superintendent should be chair- man. The various duties of this committee should be divided as much as possible. For example, part of the com-rnittee, preferably the county agricultural agent and the county school super- intendent and those who are teachers, should be charged with the duties of organizing the farm boys, the holding of community and county meetings or rallies for the purpose oi’ giving agricultural instruction, etc.; a part of the committee should be charged with the duties oi’ arranging and conducting community and county club contests and entertainments such as may be given at the county rallies, etc.; one member of the committee should be designated as secretary, and in addition to the regular du- ties as secretary, should give attention to prop- er publicity of the work in the county. As soon as a reasonable number of farm boys are enrolled in a county as members, they should meet and form a county organization. They 4 should select from their number a president and a secretary-treasurer, and a vice-president from each school community represented with one or more members. These officers should be under the supervision of the chairman 01f the County Agricultural Club Committee. Sugges- tive constitution and by-laws for a county or- ganization will be found beginning on page 8 of this bulletin. As soon as the County Agricultural Club Com- mittee is selected and a county club is organ- ized the chairman should furnish the Assistant State Agent in Charge of Boys’ Agricultural Club Work, College Station, Texas, with a state- ment, giving the names and addresses of the members of the committee and of all officers of the county clubs, and make any special re- ports from time to time that may be necessary. Rules Governing Boys’ Agricultural Clubs. 1. All boys Ibetween the ages of ten and eighteen on January 1st of the year for which they are enrolling are eligible for membership. 2. In order to become a member it is neces- sary to make application on a regular, prepared form which will be furnished by county agricul- tural agents and the chairmen of the County Agricultural Club Committees. 3. Members must agree either to grow at least one of the following crops: corn, cot- ton, milo, kafir, feterita and peanuts, raise at least one head of hogs, calves or lambs, or care for a dairy cow. 4. Each member must plant and cultivate his own crops and care for his own live stock. A small boy or girl may hire help to break land. l 5. All members should exhibit their live stock and samples of their products at county or State fairs upon request of their agricultu- ral agent or the chairman of their County Agri- cultural Club Committee. 6, Members must keep an accurate daily record of their work and make a report at the close of the season on a regular report form furnished by the department through the county agricultural agent or the chairman o1 thief‘ Co-unty Agricultural Club Committee. 7. Corn exhibits should consist of ten ears each; milo, kafir and feterita exhibits, ten 5 heads each; cotton exhibits of two pounds of seed cotton and ten open bolls; peanut exhibits, one peck of seed peanuts and ten vines with peanuts on them; live stock exhibits of the stock that has been raised. 8. Each exhibit should be accompanied (unless otherwise directed) by a report or a certificate signed by two disinterested parties, attesting to the yield per acre, the accuracy in the measurement of the land, cost of produc- tion, etc. In the case of live stock, the report should give cost of production, net profit, daily gain, etc. N0 boys should be permitted to compete for prizes that have been secured for club members unless they be members of a regular organized club. 9. The following basis of awards should be cotton, used in awarding all prizes on corn, milo, feterita, and peanuts: (1) Greatest yield per acre . . . . . . . .30 per cent (2) Best showing of net profit. . . .30 per cent (3) Best exhibit of products . . . . . .20 per cent (4) Best written history on “How I Made My Crop” . . . . . . . . . . . .20 per cent Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..100 per cent 10. In calculating the cost of production, uniform charges should be used as follows: (a) Rent of land, per acre . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$5.00 (-b) Per hour of work for each member. . . .10 (c) Per hr. worked for each horse used. . . .05 2.00 (d) Per 2-horse load of stable manure. . . . (e) Commercial fertilizers used. . . .actual cost 11. Item 3 of rule 9 should be judged by a. committee of agricultural experts, and items 1, 2, and 4 by a committee of educational ex- perts or teachers. 12. In measuring the yield of corn per acre, the following rule should be used: “Weigh your corn in the shuck when it is dry. Then weigh out 100 pounds separately. Shuck and shell this 100 pounds and weigh the shelled corn. Multiply the weight of all the corn in the shuck by the weight of this shelled corn. Point off the two right-hand fig- ures and divide by 56. The result will be the yield in bushels of shelled corn.” 13. In measuring the yield of milo, kaflr and feterita, use one of the following rules: (l!) “In case your entire crop is thrashed, 6 9’ divide the total weight of the threshed grain by 56, which will give the yield in bushels.” (b) “If your crop is harvested in heads and is not thrashed, weigh your grain in the head. Then weigh out 100 pounds separately. Thresh the grain from this 100 pounds and weigh the threshed grain. Multiply the weight of all the grain in the head by the weight of this thresh- ed grain. Point off the two right-hand figures and divide by 56. The result will -be the yield in bushels of threshed grain.” 14. In measuring the yield of peanuts per acre, follow the same general rule as for the other crops; that is: “Weigh your peanuts in the vine when they have been thoroughly cured. Then weigh out 100 pounds separately. Pick the peanuts from this 100 pounds and weigh the picked nuts. ll/Iultiply the weight of all the nuts and vines by the weight of these picked nuts. Point off the two right-hand figures and divide by 30. (If the large Virginia variety is grown, divide by 22). The result will be the yield in ‘bushels of picked peanuts." 15. In calculating the cost of producing cot- ton, an additional charge of $1.00 should be made for each 100 pounds of lint to cover the cost of ginning, wrapping, etc. If the picking is hired, it should be charged at the rate of 10c per hour. 16. All live stock entered for prizes at county and State fairs should have been owned, fed, and cared for by the exhibitor for at least 120 days prior to being exhibited. 17. A daily record should be kept of the fol- lowing: (a) Kind, cost, and amount of feed used. (b) Number of acres and kinds of pastures used; number of days used and the number of different kinds of stock using the pasture. (c) Time devoted to caring for stock. 18. Animals should be weighed when they come into the possession of the club members and at least at the beginning and ending of the feeding period in order to ascertain the gain made. 19. It is suggested that all prizes on live 7 stock, when possible, be awarded on the follow- ing bases: (1) Best animal exhibited .» . . . . . . .50 per cent (2) Best showing of net profits. . . .25 per cent (3) Greatest average daily gain dur- ing fattening period . . . . . . . . . .15 per cent (4) Best written history on “How I Raised My Stock” . . . . . . . . ..1O per cent Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 per cent 20. Each member engaging in dairy work must agree to milk and care for one cow for a period of twelve months. Accurate monthly records must be kept of the following: (a) Weight 0t milk produced daily. (b) Amount, kind and cost of feed fed daily. (c) Kind of pastures used daily. Forms on which to keep monthly records will be furnished by the department through the county agricultural agent or the chairman of the County Agricultural Club Committee. 21. It is suggested that all prizes in dairy work