Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-24
DAILY HINTS ON
FARM TOPICS
By X. A Kirkpatrick
For the Rows.

For the Boys.
Undoubted great many OF tho
farm boys In the county have noticed
the statement that the farm boys
camp had failed to materialize IN
connection with the Muscatine chau,
tauqua The reason for coming to
this decision was that there were two
chautauquas on In tho county ut the
same time, and 1t would not be posi-
Bile to hold an encampment at both,
and 1t would create a bad situation
If the camp were held at one place at
the expense of the other. However,
the farm camp has not been given UP
for the season, and the plan now Is
to hold this affair later on in the sea-
son, when the young folks would
have more spare time and 1t would
not interfere with any other enter
prise which would be going on In the
county.
A Free Trip to the State Fair.
Before I 60 on to discuss the mat
Ter OF encampment further, want to
tell the boys Of the county that there
Ia a splendid chance to secure free
trip to the Iowa state fair waiting for
The boy who will get busy. Briefly,
The conditions are these: Anyone
wishing to take advantage Of, this
tree trip must be an actual farm boy
between the ages OF Is and 10. He
must, write "a essay on Farming in
iowa as an Occupation; Its Possibili-
ties Compared With Other Voca-
lions" These essays are sent to the
county superintendent Of schools,
who will have them judged. The boy
receiving the highest score Will be
designated as the one to secure tho
free trip to the state fair, The essay
should be not less than Ave hundred
words OF, more than seven hundred
words in length. One will be chosen
from each county. All these boys
will form q large camp at the state
fair grounds. where they will be un-
der the supervision OF competent
camp manager. This Is a splendid;
opportunity to spend ten days camp
ing out and seeding the fair at very,
little expense. There ought to be ~
large number of boys in the county
Who would like to 10 into this con-,
seat. Anyone who would like to try
i should write the agricultural ID
visor :. the county superintendent,
at once for more detailed instruc1
lions.
The Boys Judging Contest.
= Another feature which ought to
appeal to some of the Muscatind
county farmer boys is the judging
contest which Is to be held this year
ut the Iowa state fair The contest
Is open to any Iowa boy under I'll
years of age. It Is to be held in tho
stock Pavilion, Friday, August 22i
Ing. /!
The following splendid prizes will
be awarded: Four scholarships In
the regular agricultural courses at
The Iowa State college at Ames.
These are valued at 5000, $3.50,
ll26 and 500, respectively. There
Will also be one short-course schOl-
lrship valued at $25. In the judy
ng contest. the boys will be requir-
ID TO Judge classes OF horses, cattle,
swine and samples or corn. They
will be required to write the reasons
.or their placings.
It Is the opinion OF the agriculture
II advisor that there ought to be a
Number Of MIgcatine county boys
who could go into this contest and
win high places.
Boys May Receive Coaching Free.
If a goodly number OF boys wish
% enter this contest. the agricultural
sdvisor viii arr" . to hold the
Farm boys camD out two weeks
itefcre the state fair. This camp
would last for four or five days, or
probably a week, and the time would
be largely spent in visiting stock
arms to do practice work in judy
Ing. Work would also be had in
corn-judging. The place where this
camp would be held is not yet desig-
mated. The plan would be to hold it
Mt some point in the county that
would be handiest for the boys that
would want to take part, and also
most convenient to have access to the
farms where the practice-judginJ
work would be done The agriculh
tural advisor would like to hear from
any boy In the county who is inter-
ested in this proposition. I Any such
parties are invited to write or call OF,
the phone, because the advisor
would like to have their help in ar
ranging for this camp.
What Is Farm Boys Camp?
1t may be well to discuss some on
the things that would be undertaken
in such an encampment. In addition
TO the practice work in Judging that
has been spoken OF, there would be-
talks at certain hours Of the day by
authorities from the State college
and from other places, Arrange
ments would be made for tents so
that the whole crowd could camp
out. A spot would be selected where
baseball, tennis and other games
could be played during a part OF the
day. Fields and feedyards would be
visited and actual lessons would be
studied with livestock and farm
crops. 1t goes without saying that q
splendid time would be had and that
much beneficial knowledge would be
gained. Furthermore, the acquain-
tanceship which would be formed
with the other boys from other parts
Of the county would be helpful. be-
cause 1t would give each boy who at