The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-08-21
Q o o O. o 90 10 o o 0 90 o 0
o UNCLE Dawes LETTER. o
% Q
10 o O o O o O O o o O O O O o
Improving the County Fair.

"Unclc Jim" Wilson, who was once
Uncle Sans head farmer. now pro-
poses to use tho county fairs OF the
country as the chief disseminntOrs o.
the gospel Of the new agriculture. He
has written q booklet of about thirty
pages on the subject Of Agricultural
Fair Associations and Their Utiliza-
tion In Agricultural Education and
Improvement"
In his Introductory remarks, Mr..
Wilson says:
| Now that q systematic effort Is be-
ing made by the agricultural colleges
| and experiment stations, aB well as
by tho state and national departments
iof agriculture, to carry agricultural
instruction to the great body of rural
people. the Importance Of having ef-
ificient local agencies In each commu-
unity through which to operats is be-
Ing realized as never before.
There are in this country today
over 1,400. county fair associations
with $50. .000 members. Their gross re-
ceipts annually are about $6.500,000
and their expenditures for premiums
are nearly S2,500O00. It Is estimated
that 10000 900 people attended the ex-
hibitions OF these organizations last
year. In addition there are twenty
state associations which held fairs
last year, having an aggregate at
tendance OF 100000. While giving
the fairs credit for all the good II
has done, Mr.. Wilson thinks 1t could
do great deal more. He says that
'its activities need to be redirected
and enlarged to fit the fair assurla-
|. ton of today to take advantage of the
opportunities for rural betterment
that lie before It," He insists that,
first OF all, the fair must be loyal to
It's own constituency and the. agricul-
tural public, land must not be severed
from serving them intthe most effect
i've way. by any influence promising
great financial. returns. He suggests
these things as of first Importance.
The basis OF the fair should ge ex-
hiSits from. tho farm, tho garden the
household, forest products, agricultu-
ra, Implements. models Of country
homes ahd schools.
Disttnterested experts nominated
by the state agricultural colleges
should jTdge all exhibits.
Contests In crop production, ami
NAL breeding and feeding and other
agricultural operations should be or
ganized early in tho Year the results
to be exhibited at the fair.
I Suitable entertainments should be
provided for patrons of the fair, but
they should not he allowed to inter-
fore with the main exhibition and the
more serious purpnses Of the fair.
Ali .disreputablo shows, gamblin.
devices and loud, coarse. takers with
monstros!ties to exhibit should te
rightly excluded from the grounds.
Nothing. that the most refined and
modest woman might not see and hear
jshonld be admitted. :.
Il Esf. Wilson i5 ,dii OF. Things th1t
should be seen at the fairs. He sug-
lgests:
H Certain stated periods each day
should be devoted to demonstration
to be hold at different places on the
grounds. These demonstrations might
be tho packing Of fruit, the use of. the
Babcock test; spraying operations, in
Guiding the mixing Of sprays as well
as their application; killing, dressing
and packing poultry for market, sani-
tery handling of milk; transplahting
budding and pruning Trees; seed se-
lection; termination tests; laying out
and planting garden plats: stock
judging; canning, preserving and
drying fruits; cheese making; butter
making, testing agricultural, machii-.
Iery; disinfecting rooms. stables and
tclothlhg; conducting cooxng, dress.
making and millinery schools; demon
stratiop plat work: plowing matches
and similar contests.
Compliance with the recommends
tfon OF Mr.. Wilson certainly would
enhance the interest and usefulness
Of all the county fairs. No other in
lstitution affords such an opportunity
for bringing together those engaged
or Interested in}sagricultufal produc-
ftion. sAs upon 1t is mainly based the
cost OF living, every citizen OF. this
country .is interested IA It. The pres
ent prices OF uli farm commodities
prove the E;necessitys TOR increased pro:
ldhction BECAUSE It is the best place
to demonstrate !. the innumerable
ways In which the farmer may IN
lcrease :Ais products with the MINI
mum OF expense, theS county faif
1 should be brought np to the standard
aimed =. y rs as'31e. Wilson:
4 II all. the words in the English Ian
lsdage. Srsaiiy other language, or 5aii
4 the languages. could be reflected stip6H
lone vast scroll to our Wonde erfaiEf;
4gaae. none would so appeal to Our
heart, sink into itg depths ANA ! give
Us that glad sweet feelfig 6f fsffg ]
\ and rest as that little fdmilArsMord
Il Home b s.; s5;-.s
j Around i arc asssoclated the deatest
memories of chiId h6od, I, the sacred
lmsmortes OF moth hsf and fathar. Some