Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-01-24
Our Future County Fair.
Paper read by c. v. johnson before
the late Farmers Institute.

men of the Farmers Institute:-Why
have been assigned by the program
committee the subject Of Our Future
County Fair | am unable to say, for
| am not a prophet, neither am l a
mind reader, nor have l any way OF
ascertaining the minds of the majority
of our county farmers on the subject,
only BY Judging the whole by the few
who have audibly expressed themselves
on the subject, in the recent meetings
held by the directors of the coming
fair. These expressions have been
one and all, for a fair, and that an
agricultural fair, which should be the
main object of our annual county fairs.
If not, why does the State make its
appropriations of two hundred dollars
if premiums are paid to the amount
of five hundred dollars? Take notice,
f.iends, this encouragement is on the
side of agriculture, rather than giving
horse racing and similar sports the
pre-eminence.
Fellow farmers, we have a great
deal of sport made nowadays of the
pumpkin Moao, but would if not be. bet
ter that the farmers who can grow
the largest pumpkin, and the farmers
wife Or daughter who can make the
most delicious pie therefrom, be award
ed the premium as a just tribute to
their skill, in agriculture and culinary
ines, than to allow the horse jockey
and the flying %aeronaut to carry off
the whole pie, pumpkin, and all7
A short time ago. noticed an article
in a journal here their last years
fair had been made a purely agricul-
tural fair, but had resulted in a finan-
cial failure. This failure would indi.
cate a perverted taste among the farm
ers of this particular locality. Now,
if we as farmers of Howard county
are in the same condition, the sooner
we establish a homely bill of fare,
which shall develop a healthy moral
status, the better.
Do not take it that / would do away
with horse racing, base ball etc., they
are alright in their proper place, but.
to my mind, their place shopld be
secondary to the agricultural place of
our County Fair.
If we as farmers wish to have the
! agricultural feature of the coming far
attract the attention and hold the III.
terest of those who are IN attendance
thereon, we must bring to bear some
new methods in presenting the subject
to the people. On this point, of course
there would be a variety Of opinions,
and not only time but mental capacity
forbids my mentioning all the ipnova.
tons possible along this line. But l
would suggest that the help of some
prominent person, or persons, be Sc
cured from abroad to aid in the judg
ing of the live stock, and that this
Judging take place in a more public
place: possibly in front of the ampithe.
ater, and each class and name of com.
petitors therein politically announced
from the judges stand. That the judg-
ing be made an object lesson and that
the peoples attention be drawn to the
comparison in points of merit of the
animals under consideration, by the
free distribution of the live stock SCOT
ing card, A short time ago | noticed
that a college professor and six OF his
students were engaged to judge a class
OF hogs. The Professor supplied each
pupil with a score card and the ami
mails to be judged were surrounded by
interested spectators. The students
were forbidden any communication
and sat about to fill their score card.
These cards were then gwen to the
Professor who then politically took up
each point OF the score card. giving
the judgment of each student thereon.
The result proved conclusively that
the young men had not been at Ames
tor nothing, aud taught a lesson on
the judging of swine, which 10 up-to-
date farmer should fail to take home
with hin and make practical use of.
Now, friends, could not something of
this sort be made practical in cur COM.
ing County Fair? In short, would it
not be a grand opportunity to make it
an illustrated Farmers Institute, on all
the stock lines, poultry included.
And now friend Bents, Mitchell, and
other horticultural brethren, couldn't
something of this sort be brought to
and practically applied to agricultural
hall7
Our County Fair has the reputation
OF being a fair rival of our State Fair
SO Tar as entertainment is concerned.
and 1t is intended that there shall be
no decrease of interest along anv of
its legitimate lines, and we trust that
not only those who come to be enter.
tanned, (Which | am persuaded have