Report of Missouri Farmers' Week. 



599 



mends that the show be continued and that announcement of this 

 purpose be made early so that the farmers may make arrange- 

 ments to save their best meat for the exhibit. A tentative score 

 card for judging hams was suggested, as follows : Size and form — 

 weight (7 to 15 pounds), 5; trim, 10; symmetry, 5; total, 20. 

 Cure and quality— flavor, 50; color, 10; texture, 10; proportion of 

 fat to lean, 5 ; marbling, 5 ; total, 80 ; grand total, 100." 



The interest shown in the first Missouri farmers ham and 



bacon show was even more 

 than had been anticipated. 

 During almost every hour of 

 the four days when the show- 

 room was open a crowd was 

 present to see the meat and 

 to discuss the relative merits 

 of the entries. These discus- 

 sions resulted in the exchange 

 of many tried recipes and in 

 a general awakening in the 

 matter of meat making on the 

 farm. It is proposed to make 

 the meat show one of the 

 permanent features of Farm- 

 ers' Week. By so doing it is 

 believed that in, time a stand- 

 ard for hams and bacon will 

 be as thoroughly established as 

 has been for corn. It might be 

 said that at the first corn show 

 held in the State there were 

 few more entries than were at 

 this first meat show, and there 

 were almost as many kinds of 

 corn as there were cuts of 

 meat in the initial meat show. 

 At this time, when the high cost of living is being so frequently 

 mentioned, it would seem worth while for other states and even 

 for local agricultural organizations, including county fairs, farm 

 bureaus and agricultural clubs to promote meat shows. There is 

 a profitable market for each piece of really good meat that the 

 farmer has to sell. As proof of this, the few hams offered for 



A fine ham entered in show. Judges sug- 

 gested that shape of ham might have 

 been improved by shortenmg to pomt 

 indicated by string. 



