Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-22

the country fair in America. The three
county fair at Northampton. for ex.
| ample, is ninety-eight years old and
| reported as still growing.
The New England fair started away
back in the old days when the farm.
ers began holding horse races, ana
people began gathering to see them
And then oxen were brought to De
compared and tested, and pumpkins ana
selling birch beer to the thirsty and
some one else hot gingerbread to the
hungry. One after another the amuse-
ments and institutions that make up
the modern country fair We're evoIved
and perfected So that New England
has spent more than a century learn
ing how to hold fairs, and the people
are accustomed to attending them.
Springfield is well qualified to handle
the biggest fair in the country
The dairying business is among the
largest industries in the United states,
and also one of the most responsible.
Milk is one of the surest carriers or
disease in the world, and also an In
dispensabIe item of human food. So
that in very real sense the dafrymen
have the lives of all of us in their
hands For the most part they are
working with conscientious and sci
entific thoroughness to meet their ever
growing problem, and the government
is helping them. The dairying division
of the bureau of animal industry Is
one of the most extensive laboratories
floors of the new Agricultural build
ing Here you will find whole rooms
devoted to such subjects as the bac-
teriology of soft cheese and the chem
istry of buttermilk.
The national dairy show is a sort of
clearing house of ideas in this great in
dustry. Improve
Is Clearing House m ents in the
breeds of cattle,
for the Industry. the MANAGEMENT
of diaries. and in the scientific appli-
ances of the business are here gath
cred and placed on exhibition. The
government has been given $4,000 by
Congress to spend at the show this year
1t will spend a large part of that
amount in setting up model dairy
barns, silos and other buildings and
appliances. 1t will also maintain
demonstration herd" This will con-
sist of dozen cows of all sorts and
breeds. The product of each of them
will be carefully weighed and tested
each day, SO that the records will SHOW
not only the amount of milk each COW
gives but it's content in cream and
butter. This demonstration is intend
ed to convince the dairyman that he
must keep such a record if he wants
to know what his cows are really
worth to him, and which ones to keep
and which to sell.
The government is also especially in
terested in the judging contests which
will be held chiefly for the benefit of
students at the agricultural colleges.
If you want to be a dairyman, your
first care should be to learn to judge
the value of dairy stock, and also the
quality of dairy products. The proprie-
tor of a modern dairy because of his
immense overhead charge and the long
shipments he is compelled to make, op-
crates on rather small margin of
profit Each COW that he buys is
speculation. If she turns out a good
producer she returns profit all of her
life. If not, she is a loss. So judg-
ment is half the game.
n
A butter judging contest will be one
of the innovations at this years dairy
show. Each of the
Butter Judging contestants vii =
Shoyu Faofura ~