Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 193, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1918 — DOINGS OF FARM BOYS AND GIRLS [ARTICLE]

DOINGS OF FARM BOYS AND GIRLS

Youths Are Developing Into Poultry Experts Under Guidance of Specialists. CLUBS IN VARIOUS STATES From Small Beginning Organization Has Developed to Include Eleven Commonwealths —Results Obtained by Members. Thousands of girls and boys of the United States have enlisted with . Uncle Sam as poultry raisers. The bureau of animal industry, United States department of agriculture, cooperates with many state agricultural colleges to assist juvenile farmers in poultry husbandry. The girls and boys of today who show an interest in better poultry husbandry by becoming successful members of the poultry clubs will be our breeders, fanciers and poultry producers of tomorrow. The splendid development of poultry clubs this line of work as one of the most important in the poultry office of the bureau of animal Industry, United states department of agriculture. Started in Small Way. Poultry club work was started in Virginia in 1912 with 11 clubs and 150 members. - From this small beginning an organization has developed to include 11 states with 1,010 clubs in 300 counties and a membership of about 15,000 energetic boys and girls. Successful results have encouraged still other states through the Smith-Lever fund to carry on work of a similar nature in co-opefafion with the bureau or animal industry, but this club history covers only the states in which a poultry specialist assigned to each state has supervision of the work, and furnishes the subject matter to carry it on. The organized states are: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Okla-, homa, Kansas, Washington, Massachusetts and Rhode" Island.- Several new states have requested the assistance of a specialist in' their poultry club efforts for the coming year.

Educational Features. Girls and boys are assisted in tbeir work by local school teachers, county farm agents and county home demonstrators. Many of the members, live in the country, and help in the introduction of standard-bred stock, improvement of housing and feeding methods and marketing conditions. Other members who live in towns maintain backyard poultry plants, and all aid materially in the production of poultry and eggs. Poultry clubs have their educational feature and are carried on so that the boys and girls have an opportunity, to' learn simple business methods. Club members study poultry bulletins furnished by the state and government, and subject matter prepared by the specialist The members write compositions on poultry management as a part of their work. Each member keeps a record, or business account showing accurate figures on expendltures, receipts and profits, number of eggs set, number of chickens raised, etc. . Results Obtained. During the year 1917 these boy and fir! club members hatched 98,273 chicks, and raised 80,310 matured fowls. Over $17,90825 worth of poultry and eggs for market and breeding purposes were sold or consumed at home and the total value of their receipts, stock on hand, and prizes won amounted to $41,812.42. In addition to the exhibits of fowls and eggs made at county fairs and other poultry

shows, these poultry club members are ndw demonstrating in many Instances their ability to judge poultry and to carry on the various phases of poultry work such as setting hens, operating an incubator, preserving eggs, caponizing cockerels, killing and dressing fowls for market. There were 104 exhibits held where 624 members exhibited 6,280 birds and 329 dozens of eggs. The total value of special and cash prizes awarded to the members making these exhibits amounted to $3,090.75. Features of Work. Another feature of poultry club work that has been inaugurated is that of holding short courses at various state schools and colleges for the benefit of poultry club members who have made a good showing in their work. On such occasions members are sent to one of the state schools with all expenses paid and there given a course of Instruction In poultry. Such courses not only provide a valuable course of instruction, but promote' the various forms of amusement in a more favorable attitude toward education and what the social side of farm life can be made to be. Another feature that Is being taken up is poultry management contests. These contests are conducted by the poultry club agents and seemingly are going to arouse much enthusiasm among the club members and w r ill be the means of their obtaining a most practical course of instruction and the proper methods of dllng and caring for poultry, . Girls’ and boys’ poultry clubs are a proven Instrument of value in the forward movement in nation-wide poultry culture, not only on account of the very satisfactory development, but more especially in the manifest enthusiasm displayed by the boys and girls.

Determining Chickens’ Ages. A common way of testing the age of dressed poultry, as described by home economics specialists of the United States department of agriculture, is to take between thumb and finger the end of the breastbone, farthest from the head, and attempt'to bend it to one side. In a very young bird, such as a "broiler” chicken or a green goose, it will be easily bent, like the cartilage in the human ear; In a bird a year or so old it will be brittle, and in an old bird, tough and hard to bend or break. / Tricky dealers have been known to break the end of the breastbone before showing the bird, thus rendering tb«