The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-23
GREAT CONGRESS
OF FARMERS
One Feature of Convention viii Be
| to Decide on Best Half
Bushel of Wheat in
| the World.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Sept. %
Undeterred by the experience last
year when the "fu" epidemic caused
the cancellation of the sessions
thirty minutes before the doors open
ed, the international farm congress
and soil-products exposition will hold
the boards here this week. The farm
congress, a world forum for agricul-
turists, will be in session September
25, 26 and 81, while the exposition,
which is held under the direction of
the congress, will open September "a
for period of eleven Gays.
Representatives of foreign nations
and provinces, states, farmer asso-
Citations, agricultural colleges and
kindred institutions constitute the
delegates to the fourteenth annual
session of the farm congress. George
Albert Smith of Salt Lake City, Utah
is president of the organization.
Before this body of representative
agriculturalists of the world will be
debated subjects of international, ma
tional, sectional and local interest.
Representatives of the packing indus
try, a well-known official of the ma
tional grain board. advocates of Sec
rotary Franklin Lanes land reclama-
ton projects and others who have
met with opposition from the men
who till the soil will be present to
take part in discussions.
Leading all other contests in In
terest at the exposition are the an
nual contest of the states" in which
nations, provinces and states COM
pete for $500 cup, and the competi-
ton to determine the best half
bushel Of wheat in the world.
Although the sessions OF the con-
gress and exposition have been held
all over the nation and once in Can
ada, two midwestern states, Nebraska
and Kansas, have taken the largest
number of sweepstakes in the CON
test of the states The Sunfiower
state was winner of first place in
1915 at Denver and repeated in 1915
at Ell Paso. Nebraska broke the Kan
sas run by taking first place in 1917
at Peoria, H., but the two states tied
for first honors last year at Kansas
City, where ak prizes were awarded,
although the exposition gates never
opened Each year the competition
between the two states has been
close. Bruce Wilson of the Kansas
State Agricultural college assembled
the exhibit for his state and Arnold
Martin, of Dubois, Nebraska, Is in
charge of the Nebraska display.
Canada has won sweepstakes in
the wheat competition five consecu-
TIVE years Seager Wheeler, Ros-
then, Saskatchewan, farmer, has
taken three first places for the Brit
ish possession, and will exhibit again
this year. Samuel Larcomoe of Brittle,
Manitoba, was champion wheat raiser
of the world in 1917. Wheat growers
of the United States, and notably
those of Kansas, are determined that
the trophies and prizes will remain
in this country this year, and the
competition for first honors in the
wheat sweepstakes promises to be
close The best halfbushel OF wheat
may win $1,000 for its owner, and the
least it can win is $685..
Nearly $4,000 in cash and trophy
prizes will be awarded to exhibitors.
These premiums, the largest offered
by any fair or exposition, are open
to the world, except in few special
classes, which are open to farmers
of sections or provinces. Some of the
silver trophy cups are huge affairs,
measuring nearly four feet in height
and costing $500 each. Others range
in size. down to the ones offered in
the ordinary sweepstakes contests