Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-30
institute Work in Iowa.


Questions frequently asked are
these:
Frst-Is the interest in farmers in
stitutes any better than 1t was in prev
io,ls years?
Seconds the attendance any bet
ter?
Thirds the quality of and guam
|tity at the grain any better that is
placed on the show tables?
In answering the first two questions
II would say that there has been
great increase in interest over previous
years as manifested by an increase IN
attendance Of about 80 per cent over
last year. which has been marked
Improvements.
Also the Offering OF a larger prize
list ana much better premiums have
BEEN given this year than any year
previous In one institute the drsts N
two different classes Of, corn were 40
etch. seconds S3s each. thirds $22 each
and fourths SIS each, hence prize list
like this brings out lot OF very nice
grain. The merchants who contrib
uted so literally to this list have come
70 know the value Of a good grain
show and its influence ON their COM
ore very interesting feature OF an
institute is the grain Judging contest
by boys from IL TO- is years OF age
For the boys winning nrst. second
third fourth and ffth places very nice
prizes are given.
FOR these the boys work very hard
and give much thought ano caleiu'
study before the institute begins. Again
n they fall to get any Of the prizes
they will. when the names OF the WIN
ners are read. applaud the boys VINO 90
win. This can not always De sa'o VI
the man who has told his neighbors
before the show he had the best corn
in the community. In this some men
would do well to take a lesson from the
boys.
In one OF these contests where thirty
three boys were in class one boy
came in late but quietly with MS cap
under hi. nm. walked slowly to seat
and listened very attenttveiy as 10 IN
structions as to what to look for IN
judging the samples before them (each
boy had five-ear sample and score
card) This particular boy, altho lily
clad having on coat that was out al
the elbows. was very attentive to ev-
r.tfing that was said and when the
time came to begin scoring their sam.
Piles he was very lively the entire forty
five minutes allotted for the work. AZ
ter the scoring I gave instructions how
to write their reasons why they had
given q certain number OF ears first.
why another number second, and so on,
! giving their reasons complete for their
! placinzs and after writing their reasons
they were sent 70 another hall to listen
to lecture on feeds and feeding while
we checked over their papers.
On reading the names OF the winners
the boys cheered till they nearly Bills
tered ti1eir hand: It DEVELOPED that
the poor boy coming in late had won
! first place and had received q marking
OF SO per cent which il the highest
marking given any boy in this state
| this winter. It also developed that he
wore the best clothes he had that day
as he was supporting widowed moth
err by working among the farmers at
/ days work.
He won in that contest q new suit
OF clothes and a short course scholar
ship at Ames. This IL only one OF
the many striking incidents In insti-
tute work.
In the third place. the quality
and quantity Of grain entered for
prizes taken have been q marked Inn
provement In both. Tho shows have
been much larger and the quality much
better than last year. Altho q few
warning notes have already been
sounded concerning frozen corn ana II
IL vxery true that about Is per cent Of
\
which means that another Is per cent
would be too weak to plant, yet one
Who has been . student o( the grain
conditions can easily and readily &C.
count for that. you can rest assured
!. that Il IL not the man who showed corn
last year who mas De.n easSy..S So
frozen corn to the show this year, bu
the amateurs who are showing grail