New Jersey Agricultural College - Four Leaf Clover Yearbook (New Brunswick, NJ)

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Debating C. ,l. hlactfartliy ,l. Berdan I. G. 'Duffy T a meeting of the li. B. Voorhees Agricultural Society, held Tuesday evening, December 15, 1914, it was proposed that the society take steps to arrange a debate on some agricultural question with the Rutgers Agricultural Society. A committee, consisting of ll. F. Maupin, XV. S. Howell, Ir., and ul. R. Berdan, was appointed to take up the matter and to issue a chal- lenge to the body mentioned. . For the purpose of choosing the men best fitted to represent the society in this debate, a series of preliminary debates was held Tuesday evening, January 12, 1915, Professors Minkler and Lewis and Mr. Ragsdale acting as judges. The following questions were debated: Resolved, That the automobile is a necessity to the np-to-date farmer. Affirmative: G. Caldwell and VV. T.. Parvin. Negative: S. J, Shultise and C. T... A. Beckers. The negative side received the decision. Resolved, That the application of animal manures is more efficient than green manuringf' Affirmative: I. W. Gardiner and L. Ballinger, Ir. Nega- tive: I. D. McCracken and bl. P. Van Zandt. The decision was awarded to the negative. Resolved, That co-operation will help the large majority of farmers more 88

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prospective buyer would invariably be infiuenced by one's connection with the association, due to the reputation it had gained by its progressive strides in scientific poultry culture. May not this hnancial possibility alone be of suffi- cient value to stimulate the members to activity in the future? There is yet another line of endeavor which would bring immeasurable honor to the association and its constituents, namely, the confirmation and suc- cessful demonstration in commercial poultry keeping of the results obtained by the Experiment Station. XVe all realize that the average person engaged in agriculture entertains an unholy contempt for experiment stations and looks upon scientific principles as nothing more than book talk, theory, or the work- ings ot' a deluded brain. If, through their activities, the members of the R. C. F. A. can be instrumental in relieving this cloud of skepticism, they shall have aided in overcoming one of the most serious setbacks to progessive agriculture. The members should also strive to organize co-operative poultry associa- tions in their respective communities, thus making possible an increased rev- enue for their products, as well as a reduction in the cost of feeds, fertilizers and supplies. Such a movement is admirably exemplified by the Vineland Poultry Association of South Jersey, which, because of its facilities to ship in large quantities, is able to secure a premium on eggs of from three to tive cents a dozen throughout the year. Another possibility for the members lies in the interchange of high pro- ducingbreeding stock of known prepotency, purchased through the funds of the organization. This will ensure to all a basis upon which to develop a highly profitable laying strain. Nor should the members neglect to con- sider the social side of the matter and the h 'im ' recreation and incentive for better re- I sults inspired by co-operative experiments. I These experiments will, without doubt, X have a tremendous bearing on the future prosperity of the individual members. , These things taken into consideration, R ' namely, the educational, commercial and al X social possibilities, it is vitally important a that the organization be developed to its If utmost, and it is to be hoped that the fore- Q ,gl ilk V going remarks will serve as an appeal for a stronger and more efficient Rutgers Col- A, RICUPUAH MEMBER lege Poultry Association. J. G. D. JUDGWG POULTRY 87

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than increase of production. Affirmative: I. R, Berdan and I. G. Duffy. Negative: J. R. Perry and G. Goerk. After awarding the decisions in the evening's debates, Professor Minkler, speaking for the judges, placed the best five speakers in the order of their ability, and in so placing the men the judges also considered the participants in the debate held by the poultry students, Thursday, january 7, 1915, as can- didates for rank. The speakers were placed as follows: J. R. Berdan, C. I. McCarthy, J. G. Duffy, J. P. Van Zandt and j. Shultise. As a result of this placing, the members of the Short Course Debating Team were chosen, con- sisting of three debaters and two alternates, in the order named. -o- On Thursday, january 7, 1915, an intensely interesting and hotly contested debate was held under the auspices of the student division of the Rutgers Col- lege Poultry Association. The subject was: Resolved, That the White Leghorn is more profitable to the New Jersey poultry farmer than the Barred Plymouth Rock. Affirmative: Robert Zimmerman, Cal. Il. McCarthy, james G. Duffy. i Negative: Ernest A. Heckler, Horace Chrystal, Carl I. Egerton. Judges: Professor Lewis, Professor Minkler, and Mr. Ragsdale. The debate grew out of several discussions between the members of the association as to whether the Leghorn, with its superior egg production, could return a greater revenue than the Plymouth Rock, with its combination of meat and eggs. Both sides acquitted themselves in splendid form, each reviewing in eloquent detail the many attractive features of their pet breed. The Leghorn team received the popular decision, but the judges decided in favor of the Plymouth Rock team, two to one. -o- On the morning of Tuesday, the 12th of January, the Home Economics Department held a debate in the cooking laboratory. The subject was: Resolved, That in the making of sponge cake, salt should be used instead of sugar. The contestants in the affirmative were Mrs. Tobelman, Miss Drayton, Miss Janeway and Miss Halsted. Those on the negative side were Miss Rogers and Mrs. Hoffman. There was a large number of judges, consisting of all those students who assembled in the lunch room. The affirmative warmly upheld its point, illustrating it with a practical demonstration, and for a time it seemed as though they would prove success- ful, as the sympathies of the majority of the audience were with them. The negative, however, contested every inch of the ground and gradually gained the upper hand by reason of superior argument, and the final decision was in their favor by the unanimous vote of the judges, C. and H. Lock. 89