Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-11-28

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Congress did good piece of work
when it passed special bill appropriate
Ing $15, 900 for boys and girls club
exhibit at the National. The show fur
nished building and 81, 900 club mem-
bers in the ten North Atlantic states did
the rest. They sent in exhibits varying
from needlework by the girls to 460-lb.
prize pig and filled the buildings with
very creditable products of their own
work.
One hundred and three judging teams
of three members each entered ten judg-
ing contests, IS of the teams being pres.
ent one day. Throughout the week the
boys and girls themselves put on differ.
ent demonstration of their work, among
them being an exhibition of milk test
ing.
Ninety-six boys and one girl entered
the dairy cattle judging contest at the
North Atlantic Ststes' Boys and Girls'
Exposition held in connection with the
National Dairy Show. There aren't
many girls who would have gone
through with the judging-there are still
fewer who would have been successful
in the contest. Ruth Wood is one of
the few, for she placed second In the
contest and won, as prize, q fine bull
calf-a Jersey from the Hood Farm In
her home state.
Four classes, each of four aged cows,
we're placed in the contest, one OF each
Of the four breeds: Ayrshire, HOlstein,
Guernsey and Jersey. Each contestant
wrote out the reasons for placing each
class. After the judges graded on plac-
ing and on reasons and announced the
winners in the contest, 1t Was necessary
for the ones with the highest scores to
select their prizes.
The prizes were pure-bred bull calves
given by breeders of dairy cattle In states
all the way from Wisconsin to Massachu-
setts. The calves we're placed In the
barns along with the National Dairy
Show cattle few days before the con-
test. A good many of the boys went
through the barns, looked over the
calves and selected the one they
would take home-if they won. Ruth
Wood went through too, and decided
she wanted little Jersey, grandson Of
Sophie 10th, one Of the highest produc-
ing cows in the world. Ruth was afraid
she would never have q chance to take
any of the calves but was determined to
do her best. She made good start by
deciding to try for her "first choice"
among the calves.
From the time the judging began until
the reasons were written on the last
class, Ruth Wood worked. She looked
each COW over carefully before going up
TO feel of the skin aud milk veins and to
determine the quality of the udder.
When she finished q class and wrote
down q placing, she had good idea of
every cow there. She knew which bad
the largest barrel and other indications
of great feeding capacity; which cows
were strongest, as shown by their having
wider muzz!es and deeper and wider
chests than the others, and which cows
had the best milk making machinery,
large, we'll shaped, fine qualified udders
and large milk veins and wells. She
could shut her eyes and see every COW In
the class. 1t was easy to write good
reasons for her placing when she
could do that.
1t seemed long time after the judg-
ing before the judges were ready to tell
who had won the contest. When you
have tried very hard and you are won.
dering IL you have chance to win, time
goes slowly. Before the waiting was half
over, Ruth had given up all hopes OF
taking Sophis's grandson home to her
fathers farm. At last the final scores
were announced. Merrill TAFT Of Penn
sylvania was first and Ruth Wood, Sec
ond! Second place In competition with
ninety six boys is record of which to
be proud but Ruth Wood didn't feel
that way at all-she was hoping Merrill
TAFT would select calf of another
breed than the Jersey. Suppose be
should 60 through the barn and come
at the very last to Sophie's grandson
and take himl But he didn't-a fine
Holsssin bull calf filed his eye and saved
the Hood Farm Jersey for Ruth
Hoard's Dairyman.