The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-11-14
COUNTY FAIRS 4 NECESSITY

rams N
To those who are interested in the
reason for county fairs the following
charming story, written by Miss Edna
Cain. editor Of the Quitman Free Press,
which won first prize at the recent
Brooks county. Georgia, fair, will be
of interest Among a large number
of contestants. Miss Cain was award
ed first prize, which was $40 in gold
Her interesting prize essay follows:
Since education is a necessity the
county fair is necessity because it
is educative in the broadest and most
practical meaning OF the term. 1t is
said that one of the greatest draw
backs to the farmers life is his isola-
ton; the individual farmer Is in the
nature of things left largely to work
out his own salvation on his farm.
While this is not without certain ad-
vantages, Ii has great disadvantages.
It Is apt to cause the farmer to get
into a rut in the development constant
ly being made in agriculture. He may
read farm journals and be informed
to theories, but he needs to see with
his own eyes the concrete examples of
improved agricultural methods. An
actual ear of corn with twice many
grains on it as the average ear, COM
ing from a field which produced twice
as many bushels as the average field.
is far more convincing to his senses
than article about how seed selec-
tion and certain methods Of cultivation
will double his corn yield per acre
And this is where the necessity for
the county fair becomes apparent. 1t
is at the county fair one sees the big
IF he no ho hes
products in every department are on
display. farmer who is not greatly
impressed to hear of 100 bushels of
corn per acre raised at an experiment
farm, will have his attention instant
ly arrested when his neighbOr, Bill
Jones. raises more corn and better corn
per acre than had been thought pos
sible. He seeks out Bill Jones, whose
corn took the premium at the county
fair, and gets ideas about the import
ance OF seed selection, cultivation and
fertilizng. Ten to one, he arranges to
buy some of Bill Jones' corn for seed.
In doing this he gets new insight
into the possibilities of his farm, when
before he had been content to go on
with the old methods, satisfied if he
raised as much as his father before
him did Thus. the big yield Of corn
has its influence on many farms.
whereas. if it were not displayed at the
county fair comparatively few people
would hear of it.
The value of big crop exhibits at the
county fair is doubled when we come
to the live stock exhibit If Brooks
county were as advanced in stock rails
ing as in grain and hay products and
in bacon, her wealth would be vastly
increased tho coming tho ey-
hibit of home-raised thoroughbred
stock will be a potent example to ev-
cry farmer in this section. The farmer
who has scrub stock will no longer be
content with understood. poor animals.
The scrub animals eat as much as the
improved ones. while the superior an
ima1 can be fattened quicker for mar
ket, or, il a draft animal, will grow
larger and stronger on the same feed.
The prize pigs and home-raised colts
at the county fair afford a valuable
comparison to the farmer who hasn't
paid much attention to the live stock
problem. He realizes that it is better
to raise a few colts in his farm pas
ture at G. cost of s25 per colt. than to
buy IAN animal in the market every
time he needs one.
There are two examples Of the prac-
teal value OF county fairs to the farm
ers. There are other considerations
which make the annual county fair a
necessity to every community that
would be progressive. The South is
just beginning era of development
as the greatest section OF the whole
country in agriculture. These fairs
while they benefit the local farmers
also advertise the county to home
seekers. Progressive communities at
tract progressive people; no live man
Is looking for home in a county that
is behind the times, lest he. too, fall
into rut and become a dead one. A,
this particular period in South Georgia
the county fair is a necessity more
than at any previous time. Aside from
the purely material benefits of the
county fair. there is a certain benef,
which comes to a people in commun-
ity who get together and work for &
cause. 1t stirs community pride: the
man who devotes all his time and
thought to his own farm or business is
apt to grow narrow and selfish. The
county fair is good meeting ground
for the farmer and the merchant: il
brings them together in the best way
to work for something which will b,
of general benefit to the county The
county fair is real necessity as a So
cial institution. aside from its indus
trial advantages. In working for IL al
the people get better acquainted witt
each other: in seeing it they gain in
spiration for their individual work OF
the farms and in the homes. And tn.
recreation feature is by means tn.
least: the harvest festival is as old a.
the art of agriculture itself.