The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-12-18
BY II. II. Brown, Secretary Of tn
Morrow County Fair Board.


Morrow County Fair Board.
The Morrow County Fair as 1t has
been for the last five years would
have been more correctly named had
II been called the Annual Harvest
Carnival or some similar name. 1t
has been, In fact, little more than an
annual carnival or three day picnic.
1t has furnished the people Of the
County an opportunity for getting
together, visiting and enjoying them
selves. There have been times dur
ing the past five years when the ex-
hibits entered have, perhaps, justi-
fled the title OF County fair but for
the greater part 1t has been little
more than an exhibit Of garden and
orchard products.
Although livestock raising is n Of
the principle industries Of our Coun-
ty, the showing made at most Of the
fairs has been decidedly weak. One
OF the main reasons for this is mad
equate buildings.
Stockmen cannot be expected to
bring valuable animals to expose
them to the weather, the risk OF in
jury and poor care which must go
with temporary sheds such as have
been provided in the past. Under
these conditions 1t has not been pos
sible for the County fair to take a
leading part in the development Of
the livestock industry.
The wool and grain exhibits have
been made up largely by n person
going out, collecting. preparing them
for show, and placing them in the ex-
hibit hall. Thus while they repre-
sent the best stuff in the County they
could not be looked upon as a fair
representative of what is produced in
the County. In a section where two
Of the principle industries are
and wheat there should be keen com
petition for the first prize, This, as
a rule has not been the case in the
past. Many Of the best growers are
more or less Indifferent towards the
competition and have made little or
no efforts to enter their products in
competition with that of their neigh
bors.
The producers of wool can find
many lessons in an exhibit. In very
few products in its history as
well written as appears in a fleece
of wool. Close observers can see
where the sheep had been poorly
fed. another place In the wool shows
where the sheep has been improper
ly housed, while breeding is plainly
shown In every fleece. The WOOL
grower ought to find at the County
fair the extra quality feeces and
learn how they we're grown.
The wheat grower has not found
the samples of wheat especially help
full and has gone on year after year
thinking his sample Of mixed wheat
is Just as pretty and just as valuable
as that of the other fellow who has
kept his seed pure. The entries OF
threshed grain have been such That
the visitor would be justified in think
ing this was not such a wheat sec
ion as reports indicated.
The one section of the fair which
has always brought more competition
than any other one department IS
that of the fruit and vegetables.
In this department there has always
been a keen rivalry for individual
honors. The result has been that
visitors at the fair are always pleas
antly surprised at the variety and
quality of the garden and orchard
products which can be produced IN
this County.
Although not a fruit county the ex-
hibits have always compared favor
ably with that of other fairs. OPP
portunity has also been offered for
the community making a specially
OF those products to advertise its
products.
The ladies' division has generally
been one of the prominent features
of the exhibit hall. The showing
made in this division would be q
credit to any fair and has always
afforded an opportunity for the ladies
of the county to spend many pleasant
hours in comparing the various ar
ticles placed on exhibition.
There has been little variation IN
the amusements and entertainment
features during the five years OF the
County fair. With grounds entirely
too small to care for even the ordin-
airy sports and entirely unsuited for