308 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



and stock shows. We believe that there is no place where adver- 

 tising can be so cheaply and thoroughly done. Make it a point 

 to get into your organization all the breeders of your breed you 

 possibly can, especially the breeders of the best animals. When 

 you get them interested in your association, if they are not men 

 who are in the habit of showing at the fairs and stock shows, 

 make it your business to get them interested in showing. You 

 can't have too many good specimens of the breed at these fairs 

 and stock shows. The thing we want to get out of our heads 

 (if we have it there) is that it hurts our business if some other 

 fellow can show a better animal than we can and get a better 

 place in the awards. Nothing will do a man so much good in 

 his breeding operations as it will to go to the fair and get 

 "skinned." When this happens he goes home with the deter- 

 mination to come back next year and get the other fellow's 

 scalp. In this way the quality of the individual animals of the 

 breed is made better and in consequence is the standard of that 

 particular breed made higher, inducing new breeders to take hold 

 of that breed, and in turn is a benefit to all. 



One of the vital questions regarding a fair and stock show 

 is who will act as judge. We believe that state breed organi- 

 zations can do much along this line by the members getting to- 

 gether and talking over the matter, considering different men for 

 this position, and then agreeing on the man or men whom they 

 think best to do the work for them at the show. They have not 

 the appointing power, but we believe that if state breed organi- 

 zations will get together as we have suggested and make recom- 

 mendations to the proper ofTicials of the show they will probably 

 get the man they want if it is possible for him to be gotten. 

 State fair ofTicials are as anxious as the exhibitor to get the right 

 man to do the judging in all departments. Nothing will lower 

 the standard of the show or lessen the number of exhibitors as 

 to have it known that the judges in any class or classes are 

 selected by the influence or pull of an exhibitor of that class. 

 Not only that, but the exhibitor who has this pull and uses his 

 influence to get some one appointed as judge with whom he has 

 personal influence, thinking he will get special favors, is only 

 "cutting off his nose to spite his own face," for sooner or later 

 he creates an enmity with the other exhibitors and the influence 

 against him is sure to be felt. Only shortsighted men with nar- 

 row minds will do these things, and, thanks to the integrity of 



