Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-01-02
SCORES or LOCAL FAT
STOCK SHows TO Dc HELD
Exh'sis'en IS = Fer Grades Rathsr
y Than psrs d. AnimaIs-Typs and
cenferma alien. Economical Gains and
Early Maturity y - censidsrsd In
Judsins-praetioaI valuss shown.
to TIMES Repupllican,


department Of Iowa State College.
Thru scores OF local fat stock shows,
the animal husbandry experts at Ames
plan to do for the fat stock industry
what they have done thru local colt
shows to stimulate the better breeding
Of draft horses. Iowa's colt shows have
munities to the value OF good blood
and good management in growing
drafters with the result that Iowa is
producing more high class work horses
than any other state. Director w. ].
Kennedy. Of the agricultural extension
department. believes that fat stock
! shows will be Just as effective in their
field and one will be organized in every
| community that wants 1t.
Showing Of Grades.
The local stock show will be alto
gether different from the customary
county fair competition. The latter is
almost wholly for pure bred animals
while the local shows planned by Dr.
rector Kennedy will be for grades.
Pure bred shows are open to less than
10 per cent Of the farmers; the local
shows will be open to every man who
grows cattle. hogs or sheep.
I'VE hope to reach the many with
this new type Of show" says Director
Kennedy. 1T ID time that the average
! man had a chance to compete for rib
bons and other prizes and get the ed
ucation that comes from such compe-
tition. We hope to provide that chance.
The pure bred competition is import
ant, of course. but so Is this other
competition. We won't solve the meat
problem until the average farmer is
wide awake to the possibilities Of live
stock production based Oh scientific
breeding and feeding and business like
management"
Local Shows an Innovation.
These local fat stock shows will be
wholly new. No where else in this
country have such exhibits for grade
animals been undertaken. They will
be judged on a new basis also. First
judges will consider conformation and
finish on basis Of forty points Of the
hundred; second. they will consider
economy of gain and method Of feeding
on basis Of thirty-five points, every
exhibitor being required to present a
statement covering methods and costs
of fattening; third. they will consider
the weight OF animals for age on a
basis Of twenty five points.
Consider Essentials in Judging.
Judging along these lines" says Dr.
rector Kennedy, will go right to the
foundation Of successful market pro-
duction Of livestock. It considers the
three essentials: type and conforma-
ton. economical gains, and early ma
turity. Economy of gain has not had
enough consideration in livestock
shows. One Of the recent international
grand champions was nourished by
two nurse cows until he was far bigger
than either one of them. Beef fatten-
ing in that way has no lessons of value
Tor the average producer of beef But
when our local shows require exhibit
tors to give costs and methods of feed
ing and then judge their animals on
that basis, the average man will find
something Of real practical value in the
shows. Then shows will be really ed.
ucational."
There will be two classes each Of
cattle, hogs and sheep m these local
shows. For cattle there will be a
Junior class. steers 10 to Is months old.
and senior class. steers IS to "a
months. For hogs there will be a jun
Tor class, to 8 months, and a senior,
to IL months. For sheep there will
be class Of yearling wethers and of
wether lambs.
First Exhibitions This Wear.
The extension department made a
small start with local stock shows this
year. At Norwalk two Classes of fat
cattle were Judged, but only on the
basis OF conformation. At Luverne
within the next few weeks a big local
show is planned at which entries will
be judged on type and conformation
and early maturity, but not on eco
honiicai feeding because the show was
announced too late to permit such rec
ords being provided.
In the coming year we. will probably
hold a score Of such shows" SAYS d.
rector 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 prob
lens that will challenge their interest
ana skill. When the local fat stock
shows become az well established as
our Iowa colt shows, then livestock
will take a new turn up
ward"