The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-10-20
THE UTAH
STATE FAIR
Lessons Taught Which May Help
Us at our Next Fair.

~ iS AL Oiu saying CnaC II you want
somathing good and substantial you
should 60 to the country for it, but to
make the most out of little, see how
the city folks do it. We are indebted to
Mrs. DeKay and others who attended
the Utah State Fair for information.
which shows how our own fair might be
improved with the material at hand, and
how we are missing opportunities which
are desirable.
Our agricultural resources must form
the base on which our wealth is built.
Brains and pluck and energy must do
the rest, and on these things depend all
the rest of the display, 6nd to the visitor
who comes among us, the estimate of
our character and characteristics as a
people
When Washington took command of
the Colonial troops at Cambridge 130
years ago he had the material that was
to check the power of nation which
was mistress of the seas and master of
the land. But they behaved like lot of
school boys and had to be drilled and
made into an effective working force.
This was the status of our products at
the fair. They were good; marvelously
so, but they are so common to us and
tneir arrangement was so commonplace
that they scarcely Interested u.s. If they
had been put up in artistic and decora-
tive effect they would have elected more
study and comment. More photographs
would have been taken, and these would
have been exhibited to people who did
SSnot visit the fair. They would be sent
to people in other states who would show
them to their guests at frequent inter
walls for years.
All this would advertise Idaho and
correct the mistaken idea which our
Blackfooters at Salt Lake heard so often,
.'you can't raise fruits and vegetables in
Idaho?" and IF you have such products
why are they not exhibited here?" If
we wish to show the Salt Lakers and the
visitors at Salt LAX fairs what we pro
duce we should send some of our pro-
ducts there.
In the display of Fruits at the Salt
Lake Fair the size and color of articles
were taken into account before placing
them. Apples, for instance, were grad
ed for color, placing red ones of a GER
tain size in diamond shaped figure with
a row of yellow ones next to them form
ing smaller or larger diamond. Red
plums, blue plums, greengages, red
crabs or any other fruit might be used
to carry out the diamond or angle or
whatever the figure might be, but in it
all there was the beautiful effect of the
blending or contrasting of colors. They
had peaches and grapes in the display
in addition to what might be seen at
Blackfoot, and they had apples and
pears that were beautiful to look upon
but they were wormy Mrs. DeKay
bought basket of pears winning first
prize to bring home, but found them de-
cayed at the core.
The vegetables were not so large as
ours but were displayed to better ad-
vantage. For all PRACTICAL observations
row of sugar beets laid out on table
or shelf is good exhibit, but it catches
everybody's eye if they are built into the
form Of mammoth beet five feet or fif
teen feet in height. A good sized par
snip looks good on table or shelf but it
is more catchy to have parsnip ten feet
high, made Of lath or scantlings, covered
with good sized parsnips and huge top
on it, made Of the real parsnip tops.
1t might be quite a job to shape po-
tato ten or twenty feet long and cover it
all over with real potatoes, but that
would help emphasize the merits of our
potatoes and the bigness of of our agri-
cultural areas on which the equal of
Greeley potatoes can be produced. We
could supply the potato markets of sew
eral states if we would only build up the
reputation Of our product, and when the
Blackfoot Potato Exchange is organized
by lot of determined men, new source
of wealth will be added to the commun-
ity.
Continued in Our Next.)