FAKMERS' INSTITUTES. 683 



tatious and essaj's by the cliildreu have beeu the order. In u tew cases 

 prizes have beeu oft"ered for essaj^s on farm topics written and presented 

 ]}y the young folks. Occasionally, exhibits in which the young people 

 had a share, have been arranged for. 



At the last institute conference the question of interesting and enlist- 

 ing the j'oung folks of the farm in the institute work received earnest 

 consideration. Systematic measures are already on foot in several coun- 

 ties of the State to awaken a keen and abiding interest on the part 

 of the young people in the institute work. One of the most laudable 

 undertakings in this line is the recent joint offer of the Fair Associa- 

 tion and the Farmers' Institute and Home Makers' Association of 

 Tippecanoe County to award prizes to young people for exhibits of 

 products grown or made by them. The prizes olfered by the two asso- 

 ciations aggregate almost $lUO.(fe. The proposed plan of competition is 

 original and \inique. It provides that the young people between the 

 ages of 12 and 20. who hold certitlcates of membership in the Farmers" 

 Institute or Home Makers" Association, may exhil)it articles of their own 

 production, tirst at the fair the coming summer, and later at the Insti- , 

 tutes the? coming winter. 



The young people's exhibit at the fair will be under the management 

 of the farmers' institute. The several exhibits to be made later at the 

 farmers' institutes will l)e judged by a carefully arranged schedule of 

 points in which the yield and area of the crop grown, the quality of the 

 article exhil)ited. and a written description of the method of growing or 

 making the same, will all receive due consideration. 



As the plan in question gives promise of being an effective means of 

 interesting the young people and affording, at the same time, a highly 

 practical training to those who enter the competition, it has been pul>- 

 lished and sent out to the institute otfici'rs and workers throughout the 

 State. The full text of the circular setting forth the plan of competition 

 is as follows: 



PROPOSED COMPETITION. 



Open to the Young People of Tippecanoe County between the Ages of 12 



and 20. Who are Members of the County Farmers' Institute 



or Home Makers' Association. 



Fpon the recommendation of the Tippecanoe County Farmers' Institute. 

 The County Fair Association will offer, at the coming fair, premiums aggre- 

 gating about fifty dollars for exhibits of corn. oats, poultry, butter and 

 In-'^ad. grown or made by young people, lietween the ages of 12 and 20, 

 who live on farms in Tippecanoe County and who liold membership 

 rickets in the County Farmers" Institute or Home Makers" .\ssooiation. 



List of premiums offeri'd by the Fair .\ssoci,ntinn - 



