The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1913-07-25
How to Prepare a Country Ex-
hibit
BY j. r. SARViS,
instructor in Botany, State College,
~Brookings, S. D.

you may undertake. Every county
cannot win first place, but every
county can prepare and show a repre-
sentative exhibit at the state fair. A
good county exhibit helps &c make the
state fair a success. When you help
to do this you help TO Loost for South
Dakota.
The rules governing exhibits Will be
found in the premium list of the state
fair. Read these carefully and pre-
pare your exhibit to meet the require
ments Of the rules. Remember that
each article mentioned in the list
must be labeled with its variety name.
Yellow lent corn would not be sufti-
cient. 1t must be Mimi. Is yellow
dent, of whatever the variety happens
to be. In naming varieties it is neces-
sary that theexhibitor know the va
riety name. This he can usually OBJ
tain from the grower.
In tying up thesheaves. either string
or wire may be used. Wire is the bet
ter, as it can be easily frightened after
the bundle dries. Ordinary stove pipe
wire may be used. Make the bundles
large enough to conform with the
rules. When a bundle is tied hang 1t
up by the butt end to dry. Hang the
bundles in a building which has plenty
of air and not too much light. Have
all the sheaves prepared before you
get to Huron, as all your time will be
needed to install the exhibit.
will discuss briefly each Of the diff
ferent classes as they occur in the
premium list:
Ten ears Of each variety are re-
quired. Select ten ears that are as
near alike as possible, so as to make
the sample uniform. Be sure that
each variety is pure.
Threshed Grains.
Twenty-four varieties Of threshed
grains are required. These may be
shown in fruit jars or in special show
bottles. which may be obtained
through your local druggist. Have
each sample pure. Remove all chan,
dirt and weed seeds possible with the
tanning mill. Blow out all light and
inferior grain. 1t may be necessary to
hand pick some varieties. The label
may be placed inside or outside the
Jar. BE sure to have two-Quart jars.
Seeds of Grasses and Forage Plants.
Fifteen varieties of seeds are re-
CURED. Pint jars are required for
.lo-o Tla r,1a in roUard IN dirt
etc. will apply to these as in the case
OF the threshed grains.
Cultivated Grasses and Forage Plants.
Timothy, bronze grass, redtop, alfal-
ia, millets, ETC., will come in this class.
Only the dead leaves on the bottom
Of the stem should be removed. Alfal-
IA, clover, etc, should be obtained
when they are in full bloom. limo
thy, redtop, ETC., when the plants have
Just finished blooming.
Grain in Sheaf.
These must be the same varieties
that are shown in the jars. They
should be obtained from the field two
or three days before the grain is ready
10 cut. j Hcg may NC ldhCh Iichi thC
shock, but they are much better when
obtained before the grain is cut. Re.
move all the leaves from the straw
before the bundle is tied up. Be sure
to have enough grain to make a bun
die of the required size.
Vegetables.
Select specimens of each variety so
that they will make a uniform sample.
Do not have n large and two small
beets; have three medium sized ones
instead. 1t is not necessary TO show
any greater quantity of each variety
than the premium list states.
Wild Grasses.
Wild grasses should be put up when
the plant has just past blooming. BE
sure to secure specimens which have
heads. Remove only the dead leaves
a THE bottom of the stalk. Wild
grasses give the exhibitors more
trouble than any other class. This is
because very few people know the wild
grasses. Sedges are often confused
with grasses. The Judge cannot give
the exhibitor credit for sedges. Sedges
and grasses belong to different fami-
lies of plants, although closely relat-
ed. A sedge usually has a three-cor-
nered solid stem, and a closed leaf
sheath. A grass has a round, hollow
steam, and a split leaf sheath. Grasses
that are considered weeds will not ap.
ply.
The best thing for the exhibitor to
do is to wrap up a number of the
grasses and send them by mail to the
botanical department of the South Da
kota State college, at Brookings. They
will name the grasses free Of charge.
It is necessary to send only three or
four heads Of each grass. Number
each specimen and the name CORE
spending with the number will be re-
turned.
Potatoes.
Select potatoes of uniform size, that
are smooth and free from scab.
Taste and Display.
- 1901