The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-08-13
CONTESTS
BENEFIT COUNTY
STEARNS COUNTY CHILDREN
INCREASE QUALITY OF
TUBERS GROWN.
INTEREST is ON INCREASE
COUNTY SUPT. BOERGER WRITES
ENTERTAINMENT OF WORK
BEING ACCOMPLISHED.

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ENTERTAINMENT OF WORK
BEING ACCOMPLISHED,
(From the West Central Community
Booster)
In the month of March, 1912, the
county commissioners, at the request
of the directors of the
Stearns County Agricultural Society
and Superintendent M. D. Aygarn of
Sank Centre, appropriated the sum OF
five hundred dollars for a potato con-
test among the boys and girls of the
county. 1t was the first time any pub
lie money had been allowed for such a
purpose and no definite plans or out
lines were offered. l was appointed
manager, and with practically no ex-
perience in this direction, undertook
the work.
After a conference with the direc-
tors of the Agricultural Society we
decided to purchase one hundred and
twenty-five bushels of Early Ohio po-
tatoes, not because of any special
preference for this variety, but simply
because this was the kind that could
still be purchased in such a quantity.
Potatoes were then SLIPS per bushel,
with only market stock available. A
definite plan was at once worked out
and within week it was in operation.
In the first place circular letters
were sent to all the teachers, request
ing them to determine, by lot, three
pupils (boys or girls) between the
ages of ten and sixteen years, who
were willing to plant peck of pota-
toes in compliance with regulations
prescribed by Mr.. K. A. Norsen, in
structor in agriculture in the Sank
Centre high school. These names, to-
gether with the addresses, were sent
to the county superintendent office,
whereupon each of them received a
slip emitting them to a peck of pota-
toes.
Because of the location of st. Cloud
1.-THE county seat) at the extreme east
ern end OF the county, it was neces-
sary to designate seventeen distribu.
ton points, to which the required
number OF bushels Of potatoes were
sent. The principals and superinten-
dents of the several village schools
willingly lent helping hand, and
managed the distribution of the
"spuds." According to the regula-
tons, the boy or girl entering the con-
test was to plant the peck of potatoes,
till and cultivate them and, in the fall,
bring one peck-the best they could
select-to one of the seventeen dis
tributing points, which in turn were
made centers for as many local con-
tests. The children were also obliged
to sell to the other children of their
district (not more than one peck to
each family one half of their crop at
October prices. This was to insure a
general and even distribution.
In the first contest there were just
six hundred children enrolled (three
from each district) and nearly all Of
them appeared with their best peck at
one or the other of the local contests
in the fall. At each of these seven
teen local contests six prizes were a.
warded ranging from $500 for the
best peck down to fifty cents. These
prize-winning pecks were then sent to
the county fair at Sank Centre, where
they were again entered in competi-
ton for thirty-four prizes which
ranged from $4,000 for the best peck
down to fifty cents. =.
Up to this time, little attention had
been paid to raising potatoes for the
market in Stearns county, at least not
in quantities for shipping. Countless
varieties-all of them yielding album
dantly-had been planted but no e1-
lOIC Ildu DCcn lIlclOC III t1lG OlT0Gt1Ou
well organized growing Prior to this
not more than so carloads of potatoes
had been shipped out of Stearns
County any one season. Nor were the
qualities of a really good potato gen
orally known. 1t was still popular
| impression that, the larger and more
i grotesque a potato, the better it's
/ chances of winning prize.
Immediately after the first potato
contest the situation changed. select
ed seventy-two of the very best pota-
toes exhibited at the county fair anG
took them with me, half dozen at &
time, on my rounds among the two
hundred schools Of the county, where
talked potatoes until it seemed that
would grow sprouts myself. l ex
planned to the children the good points
of desirable potato, neverm failing
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