The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-05-28
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

~. i.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
The Availability Of Offering Pro.
miums for Novelties To Be
Exhibited at Fairs.
The Necessity Of Educating lfsa 70 Tai,
Ohasgs II Oomnea Earth 1oeda
Makiag Ta1rs Ussfal.
Thaa the various state, district, and
county fairs that have been held in this
country during the past fifty years have
boon productive Of great good, mona
will deny. They have enabled foreign.
srs who come here for the purpose d
engaging in farming to sec the produo-
tons peculiar to this country and "a
.learn much In relation to tho ways Of
raising them. They have served to
bring up the quality Of all our dairy
products They have exerted pow
erful influence in increasing the pro-
duction of orchard, vineyard, and gar
den fruits. and improving the quality Of
them, They have been Of considerable
value to horticulture and vegetable gar
dening. Persons who have visited fairs
have seen new varieties of fruits, veg
etables, and flowers, and have engaged
in raising them. New and improved
agricultural implements have been
broughtinto notice by the displays made
at fairs. At one time the competitive
tests of tho different kinds of implo-
ments in the fairgrounds or in fields
in the vicinity enabled farmers to Judge
OF their respective merits. Most farm
ers who have visited fairs have learned
much by conversing with exhibitors of
stock, machinery, field, garden, and
orchard products.
Probably the most good has resulted
from the displays of specimens of inn
proved breeds of horses, cattle, sheep.
pigs. and fowls at fairs. All farmers
Of intelligence have read descriptions
OF improved breeds of farm animals
and have seen illustrations of them.
But it is necessary to see the animals
themselves and to compare them with
common stock in order to become con.
WINGED of their superior merits. The
exhibitions on fair grounds enable
farmers to do this. The displays Of
Norman horses in the show-ring served
to make these animals popular in all
parts of the country and to produce a
great demand for them. Farmers be-
came dissatisfied with .'scrub' cattle
after they saw fine specimens of the
shorthorn and Hereford breeds. Dairy
farmers decided to improve their milk
ing nerds after they had seen Ayrshire,
Jersey. Holsteins. and Swiss cows.
Pork raisers were inclined to give up
keeping ''razOr-backs" after they had
visited fairs at which Berkshires were
on exhibition. A similar effect was
produced by the displays at fairs of the
improved breeds of sheep, hens. geese.
and ducks. Men who took fine stock
to q distant fair in order to obtain
premiums accomplished good mission
ary work.
It is certainly advisable to continue
the display of all kinds of live stock as
we'll as all kinds of field, orchard, and
garden crops, and to encourage cxhibi-
tons by the offer of premiums. AL
though most farmers have seen speci-
mems of all the improved breeds of cat
tie. sheep. horses. pigs, and poultry, it
is desirable that they see from year to
year the improvements that arc made
by skillful breeders. Still, an agricul-
tural fair should he something more
than livestock show. Good farming
is necessary to produce crops for ami.
mals to cat, and for land to BE- made
productive it is necessary to preserve
and apply manure properly, to prepare
the soil so that plants will make Wig
orous growth. and to cultivate it SO that
weads do not make their appearance.
In this part of the country it is necessary
to provide shelter as well as food for
stock, and at the present time furnish
ing shelter is attended by large expense.
Without doubt the price of lumber will
increase from year to year till the time
will come when farm buildings must bu
made of stone, brick, iron, OF concrete.
Building materials have increased in
price and the wages of carpenters have
advanced during the time that nearly
all products have been on the decline.
1t seems to be time for the managers
of agricultural affairs to turn their at.
tention to new things. The breeders
of fine stock have been encouraged by
the offer of liberal premiums, and SO
have the persons who have introduced
new and improved varieties of fruits,
grains, vegetables, and Towering plants.
There are other things that need en-
couragemcnt. We want better build
ings on farms, and we need those that
can be constructed at small cost for
materials and work. Rural architec.
ture has been sadly neglected in this
country. The great ma ority of farm
buildings are unsuited 10 the purposes
for which they were designed, while
they are very costly. The offer of lib
eral premiums for the best and cheapest
buildings that would accommodate q
certain number of horses, cattle, OF
sheep would set mechanics ut work in
preparing plans to b. submitted for ex-
animation. The erection of one cheap,
convenient, and substantial building
would be the means of causing many
to be erected. 1t would have the same
influence on tho barns that would be
put up during the next few years that
. fino horse will on animals that will be
raised in the same nciglborhcod.
Shelter belts are of so much import
! ance on western farms that it would be
wise to offer premiums to those that are
of the most service, that are the most
quickly grown, and which are pro.
duced at the least cost The construc.
ton of stock ponds, tish-ponds, and els.
terms for holding soft water is deserv-
ing tho attention of the management Of
agricultural affairs. Ensilage has re.
ceived little attention in most parts Of
the west, chiefly for tho reason that
farmers do not know how to construct
and fill silos. A somewhat liberal pre-.
| MUM for the best silo would be likely
to be the means of having several con.
structed and filed, and farmers would
have an opportunity of visiting them
and gaining an idea of their value. OF
late most Of our agricultural fairs have
been lacking in the element Of novelty.
There are few changes in the premium