is also brought into play by means of competition between the clubs, at which time demonstrations are arranged. Below is given an idea of the wide variety of clubs, considered on a statewide basis, in Massachusetts, together with the requirements of each club:

1. Market Garden. Members must grow 500 square feet or more of market-garden products, and keep record in book provided. Time, growing season.

2. Potato. Members must grow one-twentieth of an acre or more of potatoes, and keep accurate records in book provided. Time, growing season.

3. Corn. Members must grow one-fourth of an acre or more of corn, and keep accurate record in book provided. Time, growing season.

4.

Onion. Members must grow one-twentieth of an acre or more of corn, and keep accurate records and write a story of their work. Time, growing season.

5. Pig. Project divided into two classes: fat hog, and sow and litter. Fat Hog-Members must keep one or more pigs; pigs must be fed, cared for, and accurate records kept of amount of feed given and time spent. Time, June 1 to December 1. Sow and Litter-Sow must be kept and bred; record and story required. Time, from time sow is bred until pigs are weaned.

6. Calf. Project divided into five classes: calf, yearling, heifer, junior cow, and senior cow. Rewards based on care, growth and individuality of calf; records and story required; extra credit given for exhibit and home-made equipment. Time, varying with age of calf.

7. Rabbit. Members are required to keep one or more does, and to keep accurate records and write a story. Special requirements may be asked by the club leaders in whose county the member resides.

8. Poultry. Yearly productive contest. Members must have five or more hens and keep records. Time, November 1 to November 1.

9. Handicraft. Members are required to complete one useful article, one repair job, and one toy, keep a record and write a story. Time, January 1 to May 1.

10. Canning and Marketing. Members must can 24 jars, five varieties, and keep records on sheet provided. Exhibit required. Time, May 15 to October 15:

11. Sewing. Members must complete two garments, darn five pairs of stockings, and do 50 hours of housework. Exhibit required. Time, January 1 to May 1.

12.

Bread Making. Members must do 15 bakings of bread, two loaves to a baking, and 50 hours of housework. Exhibit re quired. Time, January 1 to May 1.

For the successful completion of a club project a member must 1. Sign an enrollment card.

4. Write a story or a letter descriptive of the work done.

ENROLLMENT IN WORCESTER COUNTY CLubs.

Market Garden (1920) including Potato and Corn Club.... 175

Home Economics (1921) including Sewing and Bread...... 800

After inspecting samples of club work as turned in to our office by Worcester County Club members, I will leave it to your judg ment as to whether or not Junior Club Work is an educational asset or a liability.

Co-Operative Relations of the Community

T

and the Rural School

ARTHUR W. GILBERT, STATE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULlture. WO or more generations ago, our railroads were carrying immense quantities of our manufactured products west and had the option of returning east with empty cars or bringing back farm products at a very low freight rate. Naturally, the latter is what they did. Large quantities were shipped here from the west and placed on our markets at a price much lower than these same products could be raised here. That competition has continued to the present time. The west has increased its production tremendously, while we have seen a corresponding decrease in production in the farming districts of New England.

There are other factors to consider in accounting for the shrinkage in farming operations in New England. The population of New England has increased tremendously during the past fifty years, and while the industrial poulation has increased 359% since the Civil War, the population in 828 towns has decreased 32%. Farm land under cultivation during this time has decreased 42%. These figures show that while our population has increased by leaps and bounds, there has been a steady decrease in the number of persons who have been growing food, so that, at the present time only 7% of the population of this state live on farms.

The 1920 census indicates that for the first time the urban population of the United States exceeds the rural. To be exact, 54% of the population now live in urban communities. The census also shows that the number of dairy cows and acreage under cultivation is steadily decreasing. The number of farms being operated, and other things, indicate that the prosperity of our agricultural communities is steadily and persistently decreasing.

Since the war many changes have taken place. We have an increase in our freight rates of 75%, which makes it a great deal more expensive to bring food from the west to be marketed here. Farming in the west is becoming more expensive. They no longer have virgin soil to be tilled-large quantities of chemicals must now be employed in order to produce abundantly.

New England is facing some rather serious problems in her industrial communities. Statistics recently compiled indicate that 38.2% of the cost of living is made up of food. A few statistics relating to Boston may be illuminating. While Boston has increased its population in the last ten years 11%, cities like Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, and some cities of the South with which Boston is in direct industrial competition, show increases of 45% during the same period. Spindleage in our cotton factories has increased 45% in the last 10 years, while the South shows an increase of 345%. The reason is not hard to find. The Bureau of Labor statistics shows that it costs the average working man's family in this state about $75 per year more for food than in states of the West and South. If you multiply that 75 by the number of working families in this state, you will find that it is costing our people about $50,000,000 more for food alone than it costs in competing areas.

These are significant statements and it brings to us the particular aspect of the problem in this state which must not be overlooked. The great rural problem of the state, including that of the schools, is primarily one which must be solved by our industrial communities. It is not a problem for the farmer alone; a very considerable portion of it must be solved by our industrial communities, by our business men, and by the state itself, because the future success of industry in this state depends largely on the cost of food to the industrial worker. Manufacturers must sell their goods in competition with other manufacturing sections of the country, and if Massachusetts and New England workers must continually face higher costs of living than elsewhere in the country, wages must necessarily be higher in this section or manufac

turing plants will continue to leave the East for the West and South.

New England has had many advantages which have tended to keep our industries here. First, we have excellent educational systems, which have been no small factors in helping to retain our industries and our people here. We have cheap sea-food, a considerable amount of water-power, and a climate congenial to industry and agriculture, which are lasting advantages to us; but the cities of the Central West and South with which we are competing are rapidly overtaking us in some of these advantages which we formerly alone possessed. Therefore, I believe that this problem that we are facing is for all the people of the State of Massachusetts, and not for any particular part or section.

We are facing, because of this increase in freight rates, a time of greatest difficulty, because conditions are changing so rapidly. Conditions are bad economically. During the 40 years that these changes have been taking place, the rural communities have been depleted greatly. This depletion must be counteracted. Farm production here must be increased and offers a wonderful opportunity for the intelligent farm worker.

There are certain groups of farmers in the state who are usually prosperous. The growers of market-garden produce, of truck, onions, tobacco, apples, and cranberries, and a few who have been raising specialties have been very successful and have made a great deal of money, particularly during the last few years, but these are in the minority. It is the general farmer, particularly the dairy farmer, who has been in a poor position during these years. The depletion of the population of the country towns has made it very difficult to pay proper salaries to the school teachers. It resolves itself primarily into an economic question.

Riding on a railroad train the other day, on a small branch road, the writer passed a small crossing. A man stepped out holding a sign which said "Stop." The train went through on this branch road to the main road twice a day, so that this man was employed to hold up this sign four times a day. This was his