The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-02-26
FAT STOCK SHOWS WILL BE
.N HELD.
Director w. j. Kennedy Inaugurates
New Plan to Encourage Live
Stock Production.

New Plan to Encourage Live
Stock Production.
Local fat stock shows which will
encourage better market production
of cattle, hogs and sheep are being
planned by the Agricultural Extern
sion Department of the Iowa State
College. Director w. j. Kennedy,
head of the department is encourage
ing these shows, believing that they
will do for the fat stock industry
what the colt shows are doing for the
draft horse industry. He states that
shows will be organized in every
community that wants them. Dlrec-'
tor Kennedy says that these shows
will be planned for grade animals
and for that reason will interest
more than ninety per cent of the
farmers. He states that pure-bred
shows are open to less than ten per
cent of the farmers and these local
shows will be open to every man who
grows cattle, hogs or sheep.
HOPES to Reach Many.
eve hope to reach the many with
this new type of shows" says the di-
rector. 1T is time'that the average
man had a chance to compete for
ribbons and other prizes and get the
education that comes from such COM
petition. We hope to provide that
chance. The pure-bred competition
is important, of course, but so is
This other competition. We will not
solve the meat problem until the av-
erage farmer is wide awake to the
possibilities of live stock produc-
ton based on scientific breeding and
feeding, and business-like manage
ment"
Judged on New Basis.
These fat stock shows will be en-
TREY new as such exhibits for grade
animals have never before been un-
dertaken in this country. They will
| be Judged on a new basis. First
Judges will consider the conformation
and finish on basis of forty points
o. the hundred Second, they will
consider economy of gain and meth
DDS OF feeding on basis of thirty
five points, every exhibitor being re-
Quired to present statement cover
| ing methods and costs OF fattenlng
Third, they will consider the weight
| of animals for ages on basis OF
| twenty-five points.
Teaches Market Production.
Judging along these lines says
Director Kennedy, will go right to
the foundation of successful market
production of live stock. 1t con-
s:ders the three essentials: Type and
conformation, economical gains and
early maturity. 4 Economy of gain
has not had enough consideration in
live stock shows. One of the recent
International grand champions was
rourished by two nurse COWS until he
was far bigger than either one OF
them. Beef fattening in that way
has no lessons of value for the aver
age producer of beef. But when our
local shows require exhibitors to give
costs and methods of feeding and
then judge their animals on that
basis, the average man will ma
something of real practical value in
the shows. Then shows will be real
ly educational"
Two Glasses Each. :
There will be two classes each OF
cattle, hogs and sheep in these local
shows. For the cattle there will be
a junior class, steers ten to eighteen
months old, and senior class, steers
eighteen to twenty-four months. For
hogs there will be junior class, six
to nine months, and senior class
nine to twelve months. For sheep
there will be class of wether and
all wether lambs.
'In the coming year we will prob
ably hold a score of such shows,
said Mr.. Kennedy. "After that they
will multiply rapidly. They are
bound to grow, because they interest
the great mass of farmers, and they
have in them a means of interesting
the boys and young men of the farms
in problems that will challenge their
Interest and skill. When the local
fat stock shows become as we'll estab-
lished as our Iowa colt shows, then
live stock production will take new
turn upward"
What do the members of the Deca-
tur County Improved Stock Breeders
Association think of holding fat
stock show as suggested by Director
w. J. Kennedy, of the Iowa State
College at Ames, instead of classes
| for breeding stock. 1t would be q
good plan to take this subject up at
the next meeting, March 18th, 1914,
and decide if it would be we'll to
make the change.
| If it is decided to make the change
it ought to be done at this time so
as to give plenty of time for those in
tending to exhibit stock to prepare
for it, for it will take at least six
months to prepare stock to get ready
in order to make a good showing.
A. E. Cotterill, Secretary.
Charles We're Nexylin.