BULLETIN

OF

The Agricultural and Mechanical College

of Texas

(In co-operation with the United States Department of Agriculture.)

NOVEMBER, 1916.

FARM B()YS’ CLUB
WORK

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Address
CLARENCE OUSLEY,
Director and State Agent, College Station, Texan.

BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL

THIS BULLETIN SHOULD BE KEPT IN A
CONVENIENT PLACE FOR FRE-
QUENT REFERENCE.

Farm Boys Club Work as Treated in this Bulletin In-
cludes Corn *Kafir, Peanut, Cotton, Pig,
- Baby Beef and Lamb Clubs.

*Kafir has reference to kafir, milo maize and feterita.

FARM BOYS’ CLUB WORK.

   
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
   
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  

The Farm Boys’ Club Work of Texas is conducted by the Extensi
Service of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in coo I I
ation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The work I
braces the growing of field crops and the raising of live stock. 
crops which club members are permitted to grow consists of corn, cot -g
kafir (milo, kafir and feterita) , and peanuts; the live stock which they i’ '
permitted to raise consists of pigs, calves and lambs. Other farm ac 1
ties will be added as the work enlarges.  '

The object of the Farm Boys’ Club Work is outlined in Circular A- ‘.-
(revised), and Farmers’ bulletin 566, of the United States Department
Agriculture. a 

Each county agricultural agent in Texas has direct supervision of g
club work conducted in his county. County school superintendents, sch:
teachers and public spirited citizens desiring to organize or assist in b
organization of clubs, or desiring more information concerning th_
should direct their request to the county agricultural agent of _
county. In case the county has no agricultural agent or oflicial re,
sentative of this Service, the request should be made to the Director"
Extension Service of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of T
College Station, Texas. 

This Service does not oifer prizes to club members. The only p A
that are insured to club members are the products they produce and’
increased knowledge of farming and stock raising receivedfi
practical experience and the reading of agricultural literature. ' m
cally all county, district and state fair associations offer prizes as”
couragement to club members in their work. Club members are ul
to compete in all contests in which they are eligible. 

ORGANIZATION.

The greatest efficiency and best results in the Boys’ Club W 
any county or community can be obtained only when there is activ
operation between the County Agricultural Agent, county school su '
tendent, teachers and citizens. In a county of average population,
impossible for the County Agent to give sufficient personal attenti__
each community group of boys to insure the maximum results. 

In addition to the moral sympathy and cooperation of the cip '
of a community, it is necessary for some active, public spirited pe n‘
volunteer and become leader of the boys of the community. Asa
the principal of the community school is in position to best perform»;
duty. a

The community leader should not only be a leader in a formal _
but should have the confidence and respect of the boys to the exten 
they will look upon him as a “big brother.” The local leader should :
ly assist the County Agent in interesting and enrolling the boys o

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a

community in the various activities of the boys’ club work. As soon as
they have been enrolled (see rules) the boys should be assembled in a
community meeting, constitution and by-laws prepared and adopted, ofii-
cers elected, etc. Suggested constitution and by-laws will be found on
page 10.

Each community club should meet in regular session at least once
each month at the school house or the home of some club member. These
meetings should be devoted to the transaction of business and to the dis-
cussion of local farm problems. The local leader should assist in conduct-
ing meetings of this character. As a rule the County Agent will be able to
attend and participate in all regular meetings.

As soon as a community club is organized and oflicers are elected,
notice should be given the County Agent. In case there is no county agent
in the county, notice should be given to the office of the Extension Service
of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, College Station, Texas.

Scientific farming may be defined as the art of applying the known

A Class in Stock Judging, Farm Boys’ Encampment School, Texas Cotton Palace,
Waco, Texas, November, 1915.

facts pertaining to agriculture. In order that a boy may become a
scientific farmer, as defined, it is necessary for him, in addition to con-

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FARM BOYS’ ENC",

stant practice, to familiarize himself by study with the known facts per-if
taining to agriculture in its various phases. The facts have been estab?
lished by the Experiment Stations of the United States Department of
Agriculture, the Agricultural Colleges and the experiences of successful
farmers. p " 
The farm boy of today has access to a large store of useful agricu
tural information. This information is being disseminated by meansio“
bulletins of Agricultural Colleges and the U. S. Department of Agricufi
ture, the agricultural press and by personal instruction and demonstrafj
tions given by County Agricultural Agents and teachers of agriculture {j
the public schools. Special effort is made by the Extension Service of th’
A. and M. College of Texas to furnish club boys with good agricultu :
literature. 
Many of the large fair associations in Texas have been cooperatir‘
with the Extension Service in conducting Encampment Schools for clud
boys. 'lhe;e schools are usually of a week’s duration. Club boys aj
tending receive valuable instruction and information in the various phasi
of agriculture by specialists of the Extension Service of the Agricultur‘
and Mechanical College and the United States Deparment of Agriculturi

GENERAL RULES GOVERNING CLUBS.

1. All boys between the ages of ten and eighteen on January 1
of the year for which they are enrolling are eligible for membership. .-
2. In order to become a member it is necessary to make applicatio _ a
on a prepared form,.which will be furnished by county agricultural agenrj _ .
3. Members must agree to grow at least one of the following cropé
Corn, cotton, kafir, and peanuts, or raise ‘at least one pig, calf, orlam‘
‘ 4. Each member must plant and cultivate his own crops and‘ ca,
for his own live stock. A small boy or girl may hire help to break lan "

5. All members should exhibit their live stock and samples of the’
products at county or State fairs upon request of their agricultural agfen

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_ ]4s, OCTOBER, 191s.

6. Members must keep an accurate daily record of their work and

_ port at the close of the season on a report form furnished by the
‘department through the county agricultural agent.

7. Corn exhibits should consist of ten ears each; kafir exhibits, ten

i. _.-.ém; live stock exhibits, stock that has been raised.

8. Each exhibit should be accompanied (unless otherwise

ch; cotton exhibits, two pounds of seed cotton and ten open bolls;

gpeanut exhibits, one peck of seed peanuts and ten vines with peanuts on

direct~

'_d) with a report or a certificate signed by two disinterested parties, attest-
Ag to the yield per acre, the accuracy in the measurement of the land, and

‘just of production.

 

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A In the case of live stock, the report should give cost
H production, net profit, and daily gain.

_ No boys should be permitted to compete for prizes offered to club
ppembers unless they are members of the Boys’ Club Work.

FIELD CROPS.

9. The following basis of awards should be used in awarding, all

'zes on corn, cotton, kafir, and peanuts:

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(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 of “How I made my Crop’_’_.__2__(l per cent
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . . _ . . . . . 100 per cent

10. In calculating the cost of production, uniform charges should

made as follows:

(a) Rent of land, per acre...........................$5.00
(b) Per hour of work for each member. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
(c) Per hour of work for each horse used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .05
' (d) Per 2-horse load of stable manure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.00
‘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 experts or
teachers. .

12. In measuring the yield of corn per acre, the following rule»
should be used: Weigh 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 ofi’ the two right-hand figures and
divide by 56. The result will be the yield in bushels of shelled corn.

13. Inlmeasuring the yield of kafir, use one of the following rules:

(a) In case entire crop is threshed, divide the total weight of the
threshed grain by 56, which will give the yield in bushels.

(b) -If crop is harvested in heads and is not threshed, weigh the
grain in the head, then weigh out 100 pounds separately. Thresh the
weight of all the grain in the head by the weight of this threshed grain.
Point off the two right-hand figures and divide by 56. The result will be
the yield in bushels of threshed grain.

15. In measuring the yield of peanuts per acre, follow the same gen-
eral rule as for the other crops, that is:

Weigh peanuts on 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. Multiply the weight of all the nuts 

Judging Baby Beeves at Feeders and Breeders Exposition, Ft. Worth, Texas March,
1916. One hundred and fifteen entries h" club boys.

- s

 

and vines by the weight of these picked nuts. Point ofl’ 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 cotton, 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.

LIVE STOCK.

16. All livestock 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. i

17. A daily record should be kept of the following:

(a) Kind, cost, and amount of feed used.

(b) Kind of pasture used and number of days used.

(c) Time devoted to caring for stock.

18. Animals should be. weighed when they come into the possession
of the club member and at least at the beginning and ending of the feed-
ing period in order to ascertain the gain made. The date of farrowing
of pigs should be recorded.

“FAIR AND WARMER.”

After a rainstorm at Farm Boys’ Encampment School, Texas Cotton Palace
Waco, Texas, November. 1915.

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19. It is suggested that all prizes for live stock be awarded on
following basis: .
BABY BEEF, LAMBS AND MARKET HOGS.

(a) Best animal according to its purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 points p‘
(b) Daily gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 points‘
(c) Cost of gain . . . . . . . ~. . . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 pointed
(d) Story and record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..20 pointy
. _ sow WITH LITTER. ‘

v (a) Best sow and litter according to purpose . . . . . . . . .25 points . s
(b) Rate of gain per pig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..15 points
(c) Cost of grain, including keep of sow from breeding i
to weaning litter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .30 points

(d) Percentage of pigs raised to number farrowed. . . .10 points

(e) Best kept record and story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..20 points ‘a

SUGGESTED CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS FOR FARM

BOYS’ CLUB.
Article 1. Name. 
The name of this organization shall be the “ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Farm Boys’ Club.” (Name of community) Y‘
Article 2. Object. 7

The objectof this club shall be to promote the interest of its =3
bers, to provide means for the cooperative study and practice of "be ‘ '
farming and community and home building and to give its members 
instruction as will tend to develop a profitable diversified system of 1i?"
stock farming. 
Article 3. Membership. V}

All boys and girls between the ages of ten and eighteen years resi '
ing in this community who have been placed on the membership list 
the Extension Service of the A. and M. College of Texas, shall constitulf
the active membership of this organization. ' 

Article 4. Organization. w ~ 

The oflicers shall be a president, a secretary-treasurer and vice-pr?
dent. i:

Article 5. Meetings.

There shall be a regular annual meeting of the club and such spec 
meetings at times and places as may be determined by the president 
the local leader. ‘P

Article 6. Elections. 2
The electionvof the/president and secretary-treasurer shall be at w;

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regular meetings, and such elections shall be held according to the direc-
*tion of the local leader.

f Article 7. Amendments.

I, Amendments to this constitution may be made by a majority vote of
the members present at any authorized meeting. .

BY-LAWS .

__ Section 1. Duties and Privileges.

_ It shall be the duty of each member to cooperate as far as possible
; with his fellow members in the study and practice of better farming, em-
 phasizing the value and importance of producing more feed crops and the
A raising of livestock, such as baby beeves, hogs, and lambs, to consume it.
Each member shall be entitled to one vote in the business meetings of
3the club. Meetings shall be devoted to the discussion of timely agricul-
tural topics by the members, the local leader and such visitors as may be
Qjinvited to participate.

jSQCtiOII 2. Oflicers.

The oflicers shall be elected to serve for one year and perform such

until the election of their successors-

l e-cction 3. ‘President.

g The president shall preside at all meetings of the club.
Section 4. Vice-Presidents.

v The vice-presidents shall perform such duties as are ordinarily re-
uired by their positions.

‘ F-‘ection 5. Secretary-Treasurer.

The secretary-treasurer shall keep a record of all proceedings of the
lub and shall render a report of the same ateach authorized meeting.

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‘services as are ordinarily required of their positions. They shall serve?

THE FEEDING CORRAL.

Farm Boys’ Club Encampment School, at Midland Fair, Midland, Texas,
September, 1916.

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