972 Rural School Leaflet 



county fair. The fair organizations everywhere appear to be ready to 

 furnish a place for the exhibition of the results of the contest, and to aid 

 in the matter of prizes. 



4. It is the universal testimony of those who have conducted agricul- 

 tural contests that there is no other one enterprise that does so much to 

 awaken the interest of the community at large and to create a feeling 

 favorable to the promotion of better educational practices in all lines. 

 The activities of the contest are close to the people. They can watch 

 its development and its results, not only in the production of the crop 

 but also in the broadening and strengthening of the children. 



5. Every local organization should be connected with the contest in 

 some way or other. The district teachers, the grange, the Young Men's 

 Christian Association, the business men's organization, and all other 

 groups within the district can help. The more closely and personally 

 it is possible to follow each contestant, giving advice and encouragement, 

 the better will be the final result both economically and educationally. 

 As with everything else, it is possible to have a contest that will be of 

 little fundamental value, or it is possible to have a contest that will arouse 

 interest and wholesome activity throughout the district. The essential 

 factor is to follow the work between the signing of the entry blanks and 

 the exhibit of the finished product. In this, local cooperation is vital. 

 One man cannot do it all nor does he want to. Each person and each 

 organization should contribute something — time, materials, or money. 

 Then each will have an interest in the outcome. The leader should 

 merely guide the efforts in order that greater efficiency may be produced. 



In response to the many requests for help in connection with agri- 

 cultural contests, we have asked several of the members of the faculty of 

 the College of Agriculture to prepare material on the organization and 

 conduct of such contests. The material thus obtained has been compiled 

 and is included in this leaflet. Sixteen possible contests are outlined. 

 We anticipate that for the first year it will be found advisable to conduct 

 but one contest in any district. Later, possibly, two or more contests 

 can be handled during a single season. Enough crop contests have been 

 offered to make possible a rotation from year to year with the same con- 

 testants using the same land. Such a rotation may be planned to give 

 knowledge of actual farm practices and will thus serve as an additional 

 educational factor joining the series together. It is very essential to have 

 more than a single season's experience result from the crop-growing contest. 

 The great power of this work lies in keeping the children interested and 

 in working with them for a number of years along fundamental lines. 



Every constructive effort in education goes beyond its actual time and 

 place of presentation. Agricultural contests possess large possibilities 



