The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-11-07
LESSONS TAUGHT
FARMING ELEMENT
BY THE STATE FAIR
FACING DIFFERENT CONDITIONS
FROM THOSE THEIR FAITH
| ERS FACED.
DEVELOP STATES RESOURCES
Educational Features Take UP Much
of the Time, Thus Not Giving So
Much of the Time to the Unprifit-
able Amusements.
(By Capt. T. F. Peck, Commissioner
of Agricultural

(By Capt. T. F. Peck, Commissioner
of Agricultural
The 1913 Tennessee State Fair is
now history. 1t was success and
taught many valuable lessons, not
only to the visitors but to the fair
management as we'll AS the masses
of our farmers get out of the ruts,
they are waking up to the fact that
they are facing conditions entirely
different from the conditions their
fathers worked under-that if they
succeed they must adjust them
selves to meet present day conditions
and problems.
To do so they must understand
their soil and how to make it more
productive; they must appreciate the
value of live stock on the farm and
the difference in profit between the
scrub and the thoroughbred.
When the farmer is aroused to ap-
preciative interest in his land, crops
and live stock, he wants to compare
notes with his brother farmers-at
first at the county fairs, and as his
confidence in his ability and his pro-
ducts increases, he wants to enter
competition with farmers from all
over the state and later he may grow
until hesis willing to compete in ma
tional way.
With the broader development of
agriculture will come a modification
in the plans for state and county
fairs. In the past the entertainment
and amusement features have been
the prominent ones. The race horse
has overshadowed the draft horse,
the dairy and beef animal. Agricul-
tural products were minor features.
The trotting horse will always have
place at the fairs, but that place
will be just in proportion to his i'm
portance in developing the agricul-
tural wealth of the state The awak-
ened farmer will be looking for in
formation as we'll as entertainment
and amusement The different breeds
of beef cattle, of sheep, hogs, horses
and dairy cattle will demand much of
his attention So will the various ex-
hibits of farm products, He will want
to know more about types of corn,
wheat, rye, oats and grasses.
The educational features of the fair
will take up more of his time and at
tention and he will have less to de-
vote to entertainment and amuse
ment. -
The State Fair is first an educa-
tional institution. 1t should and will
be the clearing house for progressive
agriculture, and the 1914 fair is going
to be planned on lines that will APP
peal to the producers of Tennessee,
upon whom we are dependent for
prosperity.
The Tennessee State Fair is intend
ed primarily to develop the agricul-
tural interests of Tennessee, and not
merely having big display of pro-
fessional exhibitors. The manage
ment expects to have every Tennes-
sean feel that the State Fair Is our
fair and participate in the advantages
it makes possible.
Those who attended the fair just
closed could not fail to note the de-
velopment of the practical education
al features-among them he farm
boys encampment, exhibis of work
done by boys and girls in he various
schools, the great improvement in
character and quality of agricultural
exhibits.