The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-12-06
VERNON CENTER YOUTH
WON Won THE GRAND PRIZE
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
Harold S. Bowen, Vernon Center,
is the champion essay writer of the
boys who constituted the farm boys
camp at the state fair last fall.
] All of the boys, eighty-four, wrote
essays on what they saw during a
weeks aencampment at the fair.
Young Bowen received a portable
forge with an anvil and assortment
of tools as prize. Here's his es-
say,
"The things / saw and learned at
the fair are far too many to men,
ton each individually or to go in
to detail. Some thoughts, some de-
sires some experiments we gained
cannot be expressed in words, yet
we certainly met with them and
they may influence and mold our
entire future. In no other circum-
stances could we nave received the
education, have met the same men
in the same relation, nor made the
same acquaintances as we did as
members of the camp. The duties
we performed gave me confidence
in myself and desire to possess
:
of every man connected in any way
with the camp. Yet at the same
time, that desire was not one for
city life, but rather one to be a
gentleman i'm city or country life
The work in the grandstand was of
greatest benefit to every boy. We
came in contact and dealt with
nearly every class of people. These
d,,f In MIC OF nt
from the pleasures of the week In
fact, each duty was itself pleas
IRE. 14a as- ..s s--
Sizing Up the Exhibits.
Looking at the exhibits, the diff
ferent talks we received-everything
was pleasure On Monday saw the
exhibition of stock. Here learned
some points most desirable in the
dairy and beef types OF cattle, how
to tell the different kinds Of horses,
sheep and hogs and the character
! istics of each type and breed. Here
. was the place to get enthusiasm
; and to know what good stock
really is.
"At the agricultural building we
were taught what is required in
county. exhibit and how it is judG
!, ed. We were asked to judge six
. counties, which proved an ideal
!, method of study. as everything had
. to be noticed in detail and COM
, pared. In this manner we learned
some of the most attractive ar
rangements of produce.
Grading the Grain.
, "A grain inspector showed us the
7 entire process of ascertaining the
grade of grain and gave us list
containing the requirements of each
grade.
= AT the department of the school
of agriculture we saw some OF the
work of the school and the degree
!, of perfection it is carried to. Many
| of us, no doubt, came away with a
resolve to attend the school if pos.
. sible.
81 "A representative! of the Farm
;, took and Home gave talk on
. corn. He said that in a contest
held recently it cost approximately
the same to raise 100 bushels of
I corn as it did to raise forty-fve
I up to the time of husking, and that
the extra expense lay in the husk-
j ing. He instructed us to raise a
4 seed patch, select earth that matured
earliest and to breed for more ears
to the stalk. We were shown that
a i'm the average cornfield one-third is
~ corn that natures, one-third weak
stalks with no ears and one-third
missing hills and missing stalks in
the HILL He also exhibited soil in
n. different stages of fertility, showing
!, the Importance of fertiliZing the
/ land.
4 From a member of the state
fruit breeding barn, | learned how
two unhardy varieties crossed some
times produce a very large hardy
, kind. He explained how the work
Ills carried on and the points worked
for to produce high standard OF
, fruit, and gave me a very clear
!. idea of what that standard was.
Il Points on Poultry.
, 1--WE found at the poultry build
! ing just what breeds rank foremost
commercially and otherwise which
. were best adapted to our conditions.
and how to improve the flock and
keep it growing better instead of
T deganerating.
+ II saw many time and labor saw
ing devices in the machinery de-
partment. and learned something of
the good machines and the firms
that sold them.
81 learned there are two objects
in exhibiting your products The
lesser is the money prizes. The
. greater and more unselfish is the
advertising it gives to the state, the
locality, the individual, the inspira-
ton and enthusiasm it imparts to
the spectator, and the rivalry for
first place in the rank OF breeders
of high class products which arises
:among the exhibitors.
! "And though every one of these
facts are most valuable, the most
important thing | received was an
ambition to be present next year
and be able to Judge each exhibit
just as it is judged for the prize.
and that ], a member of the 1912
: farm boys camp, should have an
exhibit of some sort, no matter
, how small, at the 1913 Minnesota
state fair"
Jail Sentence for Lovers.
rhaf ort,l / N.