The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-17
OFFERS BIG Prize
FOR BEST WHEAT
Five Thousand Dollars Value
for Five Bushels CT Grain.

Five thousand dollars for the best
five bushels OF wheat, any variety,
grown in The AMERICAN Northwest is
the prize announced as the grand
champion sweepstakes to be. awarded
at the Northwestern Products Exp0si-
ton to be. held in Minneapolis Nov. II
to %.
This Is the worlds greatest prize
for wheat-twice as large as any prize
ever offered in Canada, five times as
much as any prize ever offered for
any class of grain in the United States.
Announcement of this award has
Just been made by the Northwest De-
velOpment League, under the auspicies
of which organization the seven states
give the products exposition. The
Northwest, as represented by the
League, are Minnesota, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wash
ington and Oregon. -
A Practical Prize.
The prize consists of Big Four
$50" farm tractor manufactured by the
Gas Traction Company OF Minneapolis
and Winnipeg and set of plows
manufactured by the Emerson Brant-
ingham Plow Company OF Rockford,
Ill. These companies, desiring to en-
courage farmers of the Northwest to
grow more and better wheat, have
given the league the outfit for certain
considerations and the seven states
will compete for the sweepstakes prize.
Winning this prize means that wheat
awarded prizes at seven state fairs
and scores of county fairs will be Sc
lected by process of elimination and
finally entered at the Northwestern
| Products Exposition In the grand
champion sweepstakes class. There
will be nothing in the rules, however,
which has not been shown at any fair,
but which will be entered for the first
time to win the $4,000 prize.
! Judging of the wheat will be done
! by the accepted authorities on wheat
judging in the United States.
| Five bushel samples of threshed
grain will be required and they must
be exhibited with ten bundles from
the same field which must be from six
to ten inches in diameter. The threshed
grain will be judged, not only by its
external appearance but certain
part will be milled and baked into
bread, a given number of points be-
ing allowed for the results in the mill
ing and baking tests.
The Northwest Development League
will undertake to deliver the farm
tractor and plows to the winner free
Of cost.
What Tractors viii Do.
The Big Four $50" farm tractor and
plows were selected for prize be-
/ cause of their practicability. There
is no agency which is playing more
important part in the development OF
the Northwest than the modern farm
tractor. All over these seven states
the giant horses are cutting the broad
prairies into fertile farms. The wheat
fields are already dotted with them.
Every tractor placed in the North
west will turn hundreds of acres Of
prairie into productive farms, max
ing homes for settlers, creating traffic
and new wealth.
! Off GERS of the Northwest Develop
ment League have been considering
giving a champion sweepstakes prize
since the close of the land show"
held in st. Paul in 1911. They decided
early to give farm tractor and plowa.
As Good as Gold.
The Big Four go" was selected as
the best engine; the Emerson plows
as the most desirable tools to be OBJ
tanned. BY the terms offered the
League could have secured most any
tractor, but the Gas Traction COM
pany's engine was selected and nego-
tiations opened for securing the great
engine. The manufacturers generous
iy offered to donate the tractor on
certain terms and their offer was &C.
cepted.
Thus the worlds greatest prize for
! wheat Is offered. The Big Four go
tractor has won the gold medal two
years consecutiyely In the worlds ag-
ricultural motor competition at Win
nipeg and this had much to do with
its selection by the Development
League. The outfit is considered as
desirable prize as an equivalent
amount of gold, as these automobile
work horses are revolptionizing farm
ing all over the world.
Such tractor enables farmer to
almost do away with horses. Break
ing and threshing are not the only
things which the Big Four go" tract
or will do. 1t will work in soft ground
drilling, dragging, discing, narrowing
and harvesting. 1t has high, broad
wheels which will work where horses
cannot get foothold. They distribute
the weight of the tractor to such an
extent that the pressure under the
drivers is less per square inch than
under horses hoof.
Full particulars Will be sent on re.
quest by addressing Will A. Campbell.
Security Bank Building, Minneapolis,
MINI.