PROCEEDINGS IOWA FAIR MANAGERS ASSN. 189 



cent increase in 1917. You are all familiar with how that was done, be- 

 cause they had a larger yield and better farming, they broke up pastures 

 and hay land and answered the call of the government and they fed the 

 people of this world while the boys went to war. That condition still 

 exists and that land is still in corn. As a business proposition, I would 

 not want to suggest any condition that would cut down production, I would 

 not suggest this as a method of curtailing the food supply of the world, 

 but as a business proposition that it is only proper for these men to turn 

 that 1,300,000 acres back into grass and let that lie idle when you know 

 and I know the farmer will reap a larger return today from that pasture 

 for the good old cow and will realize more from dairy products than he 

 can possibly from his corn at present prices. They say it would be a waste 

 to burn corn. If I lived out a great ways from town, — I would not say for 

 a state to advocate burning food stuff, but I would leave it with the 

 individual what to do with that surplus. They say that is not sound 

 economy. I don't know a blamed thing about economics. If economics 

 control this business let's burn our economics and get down to sound 

 principles on this proposition, something practical. 



On the question of relationship, you can answer that better than I can. 

 Out there in the country Farm Bureaus are organized individually in each 

 county. If you ask me what they should do I would say there should be 

 close co-operation. The Farm Bureaus are there to help in any way 

 possible the farmer in his problems and with his problems and the fair 

 is there to show him how he can advance his own interest, it is an edu- 

 cational institution, you call it that, you want it to be that. It is true 

 you have to have a balanced program, you have to entertain people as 

 well as educate them. People condemn you for doing that thing. I don't 

 entirely, I like a little fun. I used to like to go and see the horses go. 

 Late years I have not seen so much of it. But you have to have these 

 entertainments. I think you could well pattern after the state fair pro- 

 gram that the Farm Bureau has put on in these county exhibits they 

 put out here. These exhibits out there are popular, very popular, we find 

 them so; they are educational; they show you what the products of the 

 state are. Why not take the counties and take each township in each 

 county and get them to compete a little bit on this proposition and put up 

 a nice exhibit there at the fair. 



Why not have a demonstration plot out there and demonstrate the kinds 

 of soil fertilizers and especially this question of limeing Iowa soil so you 

 can better grow the legumes. Two years ago this coming spring I sowed 

 twenty acres to alfalfa. I never saw that seed, it never did come up, 

 absolutely saw nothing of it. Someone said the soil is sour, give it lime. 

 A year ago this spring my boy limed that, fertilized that twenty acres, 

 and now I have got the best twenty acres of alfalfa in Iowa. That is edu- 

 cational. I think you could get up an educational plot. 



In your relationship with the county Farm Bureau why not get together 

 and co-operate in the way of making greater use of this club work? The 

 very stability of this state depends upon whether you can keep these boys 

 and girls interested in this game that is so disastrous and distressing at 

 this time. That I think is a very good line of work for you men to 



