VOL. LXVII
INDIANAPOLIS, JUNE 22, 1912
NO. 25
The Fair an Inspiration
I Farm and Machine Exhibits are Educational and
Show Progress.
| IMPROVEMENTS   THAT   MIGHT   BE
MADE.
KXPERIENCE   DEPARTMENT.
1st Premium —We have    sometimes
thought that there Is much about some
of  our    county    fairs    to
criticise. Yet  we    will
admit that  there is  much
that  is good     about  them
and     they       undoubtedly
have more of an influence
for   good   than    for   bad,
and it pays    us to  attend
uur  local   fairs, as well as
the state fair, whether as
exhibitors to  show  others
what we can    do    or    as
visitors to see what others
Jo.        The    cheap  shows
and such like, that we do
not    approve     of  at     our
fairs, really do  not interest    intelligent       farmers
any    more, and    so    they
(an  do  us  no   harm   even
though     they   do     us   no
particular   good.       While
most of us seem to want
some good entertainments
°n the light    order when
we gather  in  big  crowds,
the entertainment  feature
of our  fairs  is  not  what
attracts farmers to  them,
^'ere there nothing    else
Inside    the   grounds     except this part of the fairs,
"ot many  farmers  would
bother themselves to go.
Most of our fairs today
ar» In the hands of progressive men.    and    they're giving us exhibitions of character,
*'"» most of the bad features of former times  eliminated.      Gradually,  all
ad features will  be eliminated  when
h(* promoters thoroughly realize  that
l_l "■HI be to their Interest to take this
! ePs    We were once told that to elim-
nate the saloon from the fair grounds
01Jld lower the gate receipts and that
e»e as well as gambling institutions
ere demanded by the pleasure-loving
future are, and at the same time be-,
coming acquainted with his friends'
plans and seeing what they have done.
Thus is his mind broadened and he ls
prepared to take a new interest in his
work. Then the exhibits of the best live
stock the locality or state produces,
the many exhibits of the best farm,
garden and orchard produce and, lastly, the exhibits of labor and time saving machinery cannot help but be an
education and Inspiration to any true
farmer.
line  and  to  better  profits.
Improvements for Stock Departments.
But, good as all these things are, we
think there is room for improvement
In the fairs. For example, judges
might be more free to discuss points
when    scoring    animals. Successful
competitors could give good points on
feeding Questions. So if there could
he devised a plan to make such things
more prominent and more educative It
would  be  well  to  do so.
Another thing that we think ought
to be considered is the cost of stock
and products. The "prize taker" was
probably fed at a cost while the prime
beef steer was fed at a fair profit, but
of course he cannot take a prize.    And
One of the Attractions at the Muncie  Fair of 1911,
Public.
But to-day we see far bigger
a'0w'*8 gather at the fairs where there
nn saloons and no open gambling.
Opportunity for Rest.
(_   ne of the chief benefits derived by
fa[merS  an<*   thelr   families   fr°m   the
rs '» that an opportunity ls afforded
»ort) f°r    gettlnS    awa>'     trom   thelr
Tk for a little while.
'ead
The farmer
ie "* somewhat of an Isolated life, and
pfaftmeets   ,ess   "«en   with   his* fellow
0r    |mpn than do the workers In town
Yp'   the   farmer   needs   the
-sci.    mt?     i.tiiu.-i      i ii-.-. is.     ine
nve» whIcl*   comes  from  talking
broth methods and    means    with    his
t0     er Workers.      He needs a chance
•hg th8le Wlth others who are follow-
he i   f6 same lines  of endeavor which
has \fo,lowing, and talk over what he
done and what  his plans for  the
So when the farmer goes to the
fair he not only enjoys a pleasant day's
outing with his family, but he Is bound
to learn a score of things that will be
helpful to him all the year, and he will
carry home with him a new ambition
to succeed and prosper In his chosen
work. It is the farmers who attend
the fairs of their state and county who
are raising the standards In farm
products. W. P.
Madison   Co.
The Benefits are Many.
2d Premium.—The county fair has a
great social value. Here farmers and
nil farmer folk meet for a day or two
to exchange Ideas, see the good stock
and products, and get a day or two of
rest. Such things as fairs and stock
shows do wonders In the way of providing recreation for a farmer. They
break the monotony of farm life and
put new blood Into a man; new hopes
and  new ambition.
Fairs are also educational In many
ways. A farmer may get Ideas concerning stock, and stock judging that
are of great value. He may become
acquainted with new products, and with
the methods of raising them, which
leads  to  better  things  In  the  farming
it's the same way with other excellent
products. So we think that If such
things could be considered and if the
judges could be more free to talk on
"points" that the fair would he more
beneficial still; at least It would be
more practicable. E. G.
Daviess Co.
Interchanging of  Ideas Greatest Benefit.
3d Premium.—My . .n.iother used
to tell of a relative of hers
who could ride along before the
door of a neighbor's cabin, and note
the figure on a bed-spread, and go
right home and make one like it. A
certain edge-tool factor was asked
how he could find a market for his
tools any where, and how the tools
kept up their reputation, against all
competition; In other words, how he
achieved so great a standard of perfection. He answered: "Well, I am
not very smart, and never was; but I
have all my life been willing to learn.
Indeed, I have never had in my shop
a workman so poor but that I could
learn  something  from   him."
This is the prime secret of the benefit  derived from county  fairs.       Tf the
fair could be brought again to what it
ought to be, an occasion of mutual
interchange, it would be a very useful Institution. We are natural Imitators; and as "iron sharpeneth iron
so doth a man the countenance of his
friend." so do ideas brought together
sharpen the ideas of an observant attendant at the fair. The best ideas are
of course the ones which are set forth
In the  fair.
The best of the hogs and sheep and
cattle and horses are there. They are
naturally brought there, because there
they will find buyers. The same is
true of grains and vegetables, and
every sort of machinery. All kinds of
inventions and contrivances are to be
seen at a good fair; such as farm- Implements, new gates,
new fences, new engines,
new household conveniences, and new articles
of comfort and health. I
read of one Uncle Joshua
Somebody, who went to
the World's Fair at Chicago, and passed this remark: "The world hain't
a eomin' to an end, no
sech a thing; men's got
too much sense."
Then it is perhaps at
its best in its prompting
to effort. A young man
who farms under the
stimulus of the reward
offered for excelling, will
prepare his ground better, plant better seed, and
plant it better, will plow
better and harvest better;
and excellence at these
points makes excellent
t'.rmers.
So, a chance like a fair
to   display   our     victories
will   encourage   invention;
and    what the    Inventive
mind runs onto at the fair
will   suggest     further   inventions for the next year.
Furthermore,    a   public
fair ls a flne social event.
There    we    meet      many
friends      and        relatives
whom we never see at other times.    It
is a good time to talk over next year's
plans, and compare notes.
Would Change Features.
There are many features of the modern fair that are objectionable. All
roulette tables, gambling and drinking
devices, and cheap vaudeville and most
of the noisy side-show attractions
ought to be left off; with a corresponding Increase of attention to school-
work, experimental farm-plat work,
intellectual feats, such as Essay writing, Debating and Drawing. These
things are all very useful, and their
display would not be at all difficult. A
declaiming contest would stimulate
many talented young men and women.
If there was a hall fitted up for such
things, there would be great interest
taken in them, both by possible performers,  and  by spectators.
I would like to see a fair with the
objectionable features displaced by
entertainments that are cultivating in
their nature.
Texas. Walter S.  Smith.
Fairs of Interest to Everyone.
This topic should certainly be of Interest  to  many  who  do  not  farm  for
Continued on page 4.