Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-03-13
WHAT THE SHORT COURSE is.
Representative l.. Nj. Enger Gives
Lucid description of Agricul-
tural Short Course.

| l.. NJ. Enger has furnished us with
the following description of the Agri-
cultural Short Course which the
meeting of farmers at the court
house on Saturday decided to hold
in this county. There are doubtless
many who do not have clear under
standing of the purposes of such a
course, and these will enjoy reading
his description:
The state of Iowa furnishes
through it's agricultural college at
Ames, a corps of trained instructors
in agriculture, animal husbandry and
domestic science.
These teachers or instructors come
to the place previously designated in
the county, and carry on school
of real class work, for enc week be-
ginning Monday morning and ending
Saturday at noon.
The state furnishes the teachers
and lot of equipment for the school
free, it is paid out of an appropria-
ton for this purpose.
But it is given on certain condi-
tons:
1st The state must be assured
that the county really wants this
school. The purpose of the school
being to do as much good as posi-
BILE, it will not do to send it to peo-
pie who are Indifferent about it, peo-
pie who do not value it's purpose, and
consequently will not attend. In
fn icfy hn fatn ip
question it is necessary ito guarantee
81 200, and this guarantee must be
signed by not less than 200 farmers
and business men of the county. Here
in Winneshiek, where we put the
amount Of the guarantee for each
signer down to $500, it will take
800 signers. Nothing of this guar
antee will have to be paid unless
there is a shortage, and then only
pro rata.
End. We must furnish practically
. large rooms, one room not less
than 44x90 feet with high ceiling,
we'll lighted, that is, must have a
good supply of windows at sides and
ends and must be on the ground floor
for stock judging; this room must
have to be built in amphitneatre
form so all the students can hear
and see equally we'll from any seat.
Another hall of about the same size,
Well lighted by windows and COM
fortably warmed, must be furnished
for corn judging. Tables, seats and
trays have to be furnished for this.
Another hall about the same size is
needed for domestic economy. This
must also have good light and must
be warm. Another room is needed
for exhibits of grains, vegetables,
corn and for Jread, cakes and other
domestic productions.
3rd We must furnish a premium
list of about $500 or 5000 in cash
premiums for exhibits for class work,
etc. (Send your boy or girl to COM
pete for these premiums). We also
expect to have a lot of premiums
donated from merchants, from manu-
facturers of farm implements and
others. 'Allamakee county had
premium list which, including the
donations, amounted to more than
81, 900.
The teachers are furnished by the
state, but we must furnish them with
board and lodging while here, and
also pay railroad fare from the point
where they are working the week
before.
1t costs about $1,000 to run a
short course in this county. This ex-
pense is covered as follows:
We get $500 as state apportion-
ment for Farmers Institute. Then
those who take the agricultural
course have to pay 5000 for the full
week (season ticket, 70 cents for
one day, and so cents for one-half
day.
Women who take domestic econ
omy pay $500 fer full week or
season ticket, so cents for one day,
and 50 cents for one-half day A
/ discount is made for buying tickets
early. In Allamakee county at Wau-
kon this winter there were about
400 men and 200 women taking the
course, and it left them as a surplus
over expenses of 100000.
Money is also taken in for even
ing entertainments and for sale of
show corn, etc.
|
if people take hold with a will and
push.
Now, what is the object? The OBJ
ject is to give the farmers the re-
suits obtained through experiments
at the agricultural college and after
ward tried under all conditions
throughout the state. To teach the
farmers how to judge corn from a
feeding standpoint, market stand
point and seed standpoint, to teach
the important science of selecting
seed corn, to teach stock Judging and
stock study in all its phases; dairy
ing and all occupations pertaining
TO farm occupations. 1t does not
intend to revolutionize farming
change the mode of farming or any
thing like that, but it teaches you
thousands of things worth knowing
knowledge which has cost thousands
OF dollars and tireless research to
ascertain. But the greatest of all
the objects of the Short Course is to
inspire the young fellows with in
tense interest in farm work and
farm operations. This in itself is
worth the price many times over.
All accounts have to be submitted