Agriculture Merit Badge History
Introduced1911
Preceded byOriginal badge
StatusDiscontinued 1975
Replaced withAnimal Science and Plant Science
Earned through 198185,761
Best year19734,130 earned
All-time popularity#151official, as of 2020#158by 2025 (estimate)
The Story
The Agriculture merit badge, despite its official retirement in 1975, was phased out slowly as Scouts were allowed to finish the badge if they had already started it prior to the 1975 end of life date. This is evidenced by the following years' earned merit badge counts.
1911 requirements
- State different tests with grains.
- Grow at least an acre of corn which produces 25 per cent. better than the general average.
- Be able to identify and describe common weeds of the community and tell how best to eliminate them.
- Be able to identify the common insects and tell how best to handle them.
- Have a practical knowledge of plowing, cultivating, drilling, hedging, and draining.
- Have a working knowledge of farm machinery, haymaking, reaping, loading, and stacking.
- Have a general acquaintance of the routine seasonal work on the farm, including the care of cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs.
- Have a knowledge of Campbell's Soil Culture principle, and a knowledge of dry farming and of irrigation farming.
Source: The Official Handbook for Boys (1911)
Timeline
1911 The Agriculture merit badge is introduced. It is one of the original 57 merit badges.
1912 The first Agriculture merit badges are earned: 6 that year.
1920 The earliest known Agriculture pamphlet printing (Type 1C).
1924 Best ranking: 35th of 64 merit badges.
1973 All-time high: 4,130 Agriculture merit badges earned.
1975 Last year the Agriculture merit badge is offered; it is replaced by Animal Science and Plant Science.
Merit Badge Patches
Select a patch to enlarge it; many include the back.
- Type A1911 - 1933variations
- Type B1934 - 1935heavyweight cloth
- Type C1936 - 1946heavyweight and lightweight cloth
- Type D1942 - 1946fine twill cloth
- Type E1947 - 1960
- Type F1961 - 1968rolled edge
- Type G1961 - 1971cloth back
- Type H1972 - 2002blue and clear back
What do the patch types mean?
- Type A
- Square (1911 - 1933). Embroidered on tan cloth and cut into squares. The Scout folded the edges under when sewing it on.
- Type B
- Wide border crimped (1934 - 1935). The maker folded the edge under and pressed it round, leaving a wide cloth border. Made on depression cloth and heavyweight cloth.
- Type C
- Tan narrow border crimped (1936 - 1942). The same crimped edge with a narrow border of about 1/8 inch, on tan cloth.
- Type D
- Fine twill (1942 - 1946). Wartime badges on lighter, finer-weave cloth (fine twill and war cloth) while heavier cloth went to the war effort.
- Type E
- Khaki narrow border crimped (1947 - 1960). Back to heavier cloth after the war, now in khaki.
- Type F
- Rolled edge twill (1961 - 1968). The embroidered border is rolled over the edge instead of crimped, with a gauze backing.
- Type G
- Cloth back (1961 - 1971). Fully embroidered with a cloth back. By about 1969 every merit badge was made this way.
- Type H
- Plastic back (1972 - 2002). A plastic stiffener on the back. Collectors tell them apart by the back, which can be clear, white, or a very light blue plastic, with waffle-textured and smooth molded versions. These are sorted into variations H1 through H5.
Dates are approximate and can vary by badge.
Merit Badge Pamphlets
The printings come from Scoutmaster Bucky's own collection and research.
Select a cover to see its back covers and every known printing.
55 printings:39 in collection16 confirmed, not in collection
- Type 1C1920
- Type 21920 - 1925
- Type 3A over 21925
- Type 3A1925 - 1927
- Type 3B1929 - 1939
- Type 41940 - 1944
- Type 5A1944
- Type 5B1945 - 1951
- Type 6A-11952 - 1953
- Type 6A-21954 - 1965
- Type 71967 - 1972
- Type 81973 - 1974
Type 1C 19201 back · 1 printing · 0 in collection
No photo
back not recorded1920 · No. 3304
- 192020th Edition reference
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 2 1920 - 19251 back · 6 printings · 1 in collection
No photo
back not recorded1920 - 1925 · No. 3304
- 1920
- 1922back-2-bibliography
- 1923there may be multiple variations
- 1924
- 1925two different advertisements in back of pamphlet
- 1925two different advertisements in back of pamphlet
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 3A over 2 19251 back · 1 printing · 0 in collection
back 31925 · No. 3304
- 1925
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 3A 1925 - 19271 back · 4 printings · 3 in collection
back 31925 - 1927 · No. 3304
- 1925introduction 1 - page iv last paragraph has 200 Fifth Ave address
- 1925introduction 2 - page iv last paragraph has 2 Park Ave address
- 1926
- 1927
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 3B 1929 - 19391 back · 8 printings · 6 in collection
back 31929 - 1939 · No. 3304
- 1929 Oct
- 1930 May
- 1931 Mar
- 1933 Nov · 1M
- 1935 Mar · 1M
- 1936 Jul · 1M
- 1937 Dec · 1M
- 1939 Feb · 1M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 4 1940 - 19441 back · 5 printings · 3 in collection
back 41940 - 1944 · No. 3304
- 1940 Nov · 1M
- 1941 Dec · 1M
- 1942 Nov · 1M
- 1943 Oct · 2M
- 1944 Mar · 3M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 5A 19441 back · 1 printing · 1 in collection
back 5A1944 · No. 3304
- 1944 Mar · 3M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 5B 1945 - 19512 backs · 6 printings · 4 in collection
No photo
back Blank1945 - 1951 · No. 3304
- 1945 Jun · 2M
- 1946 Feb · 1M
- 1947 Mar · 2MHard cover HCE
- 1949 Jan · 2M
- 1951 Feb · 1M
back 6A1951 · No. 3304
- 1951 Sep · 2MHard cover HCH
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 6A-1 1952 - 19531 back · 2 printings · 1 in collection
back 6B-11952 - 1953 · No. 3304
- 1952 Sep · 2MHard cover HCI
- 1953 Aug · 2MHard cover HCJV1
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 6A-2 1954 - 19658 backs · 12 printings · 11 in collection
back 6B-21954 - 1957 · No. 3304
- 1954 Apr · 2M
- 1955 Apr · 4M
- 1956 Sep · 3M
- 1957 May · 3MHard cover HCJV1
back 6C-21958 - 1959 · No. 3304
- 1958 Jun · 3M
- 1959 Oct · 3M
back 6D1960 · No. 3304
- 1960 Aug · 3M
back 6E1961 · No. 3304
- 1961 Nov · 3M
back 6F1963 · No. 3304
- 1963 Mar · 2M
No photo
back 6G1963 · No. 3304
- 1963 Dec · 2.5M
back 6H1964 · No. 3304
- 1964 Nov · 3MHard cover HCK
back 6I1965 · No. 3304
- 1965 Dec · 3MHard cover HCL, HCP
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 7 1967 - 19721 back · 6 printings · 6 in collection
back 71967 - 1972 · No. 3304
- 1967 Mar · 3M
- 1968 Jan · 3M
- 1968 Dec · 3.3MHard cover HCN
- 1970 Mar · 3MHard cover HCM, HCS
- 1971 Feb · 2.8M
- 1972 Feb · 3M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 8 1973 - 19742 backs · 3 printings · 3 in collection
back 8A-21973 - 1974 · No. 3304
- 1973 Jul · 2.5M
- 1974 Jan · 3.5MHard cover HCT
back 8B1974 · No. 3304
- 1974 Sep · 5M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Hard Cover Varieties
Earned by Year
First earned in 1912. Peak year 1973 with 4,130. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.
"#122 of 134" means the badge was number 122 of the 134 merit badges earned that year. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.
19110none earned
19126#42 of 51
19135#52 of 56
19147#53 of 58
191530#44 of 58
191631#43 of 56
191762#44 of 58
1918111#38 of 58
1919229#39 of 59
1920238#39 of 59
1921408#41 of 61
1922558#39 of 61
1923591#39 of 63
1924872#35 of 64
1925970#36 of 64
19261,234#40 of 65
19271,491#43 of 68
19281,437#62 of 88
19292,451#39 of 89
19301,748#53 of 92
19311,566#59 of 96
19321,393#61 of 98
19331,458#61 of 101
19341,122#65 of 101
19351,274#70 of 101
19361,071#65 of 101
19371,208#70 of 102
19381,215#69 of 105
19391,278#69 of 106
19401,159#72 of 106
19411,073#70 of 106
1942947#73 of 110
19431,185#70 of 112
19441,518#70 of 111
19451,386#73 of 111
19461,047#75 of 111
1947910#74 of 111
1948866#75 of 111
19491,039#73 of 111
19501,299#72 of 111
19511,372#77 of 111
19521,286#86 of 120
19531,184#77 of 105
19541,609#77 of 103
19551,541#79 of 100
19561,506#82 of 100
19571,817#78 of 100
19581,584#81 of 101
19591,597#81 of 101
19601,604#82 of 100
19611,459#90 of 101
19621,491#90 of 101
19631,531#89 of 102
19641,385#93 of 107
19651,293#94 of 109
19661,365#96 of 110
19671,558#91 of 112
19681,418#96 of 112
19691,520#98 of 113
19701,577#95 of 113
19711,433#95 of 113
19722,197#94 of 124
19734,130#77 of 122
19742,848#103 of 121
19752,799#103 of 128
19762,611#101 of 130
19772,109#106 of 130
19781,225#117 of 131
197978#120 of 132
198075#119 of 132
198166#122 of 134
Grand total through 1981: