The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-12-09
ILLINOIS PLoueHINe MATCHES.
Unique Institutions That Have Made
Good Farmers and Housekeepers.

l
Hundreds of proficient young house
keepers got their first lessons in the
art from the competitive drill of two
ploughing matches near Chicago. One
of these institutions has just held its
twenty-seventh annual match, and the
other, the offspring of the former, is
now ten years old, and has just had
successful meeting. The first one is
the Wheatland ploughing match. locat-
ed in Wheatland township, Will coun-
ty, and the other is the Big Rock
Ploughing Match Association, located
in Big Rock township, Kane county
Both of these organizations were
started by the pioneers of their re-
spective counties-country gentlemen
of the old school. The work was I'M
dertaken in each case for the purpose
of encouraging boys and men to turn
furrow with such degree of profic.
iency as to class it among the accom-
plishments of an artisan. Some OF the
best ploughmen of the great agricul-
tural fields of the West and Northwest
got their first lessons in ploughing in
one or the other of these Illinois insti-
buttons, the like of which there is said
to be nothing in this country.
The matches were hardly started
before the women took hand. They
established in connection with the
matches fair at which were exhibit
ed products of the needle and the
kitchen. On the same day cash prizes
were awarded for the best ploughing
with walking, sulky, or gang ploughs
to men and boys, and to young women
for the best work in sewing and en-
broidery and in cooking, baking and
preserving.
The men provided for the prizes in
the ploughing matches by raising the
money among them, and the women
accumulated a fund by cooking and
baking for dinner to be served on
the grounds. Over $1,000 has been
paid in prices by the older organiza-
ton, and in like proportion by the
younger match. In order to show the
high standard that was set for the
ploughmen it is only necessary to
state that the land is marked off with
the precision that tailor uses in cut
ting a garment. The ploughman, in
order to be perfect, must turn the land
in a given time, and the last furrow
must exactly complete the land with
out a break. To use the expression
of one of the old-time Big Rock plough
ers, the furrow must be so straight
that you may stand at one end and see
a mouse jump across it at the other
end" The work is judged and scored
by the best known ploughman, with
out knowing who has done the work.
With the same degree of proficiency
the women have continued their Of
forts until a small army OF drilled
housekeepers has been produced in
both counties. In period OF time,
now over a quarter of century, pace
has been kept. step by step, with mod
ern creations of both the needle and
the kitchen.
In all the time during which these
unique institutions have survived
without a jangle of any kind the
young men and the young women have
gone to other homes. Both sexes
have found the training that the
ploughing match stirred up to be the
snost valuable asset carried away to
kdistant lands. The graduates OF these
near Chicago tilling and housekeeping
schools have not only taught many,
but they have raised families of their
own, who nave gone forth and taught
others. The great Middle West has
had the advantage Of their skill--chi-
cago Tribune.