FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART II 93 



HOW THE EXTENSION DEPARTMENT CAN ASSIST THE COUNTY 

 FAIRS AND FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



BY E. K. BLISS, AMES, lA. 



Mr. President and Members of the State Board of Agriculture: 



I feel like saying "Amen" to everything tliat the president stated in his 

 address this morning. He stated the educational side of our state and 

 county fairs in more effective words than I will be able to do it. I am 

 glad the State Board of Agriculture has the attitude that it has in regard 

 to these educational matters, and so far as the Extension Department is 

 concerned, all it can do toward helping the county fairs and county insti- 

 tutes will be along the educational side. 



We appreciate the fact that the Extension Department is entering a 

 field which was pioneered by the County Fair and by the State Farmers' 

 Institute, and by the agricultural press. We desire to co-operate; and 

 these already existing institutions as far as it is possible to co-operate; and 

 this morning I merely want to point out some of the things that the Ex- 

 tension Department will be able to do in helping the local fairs to make 

 their work more educational. I believe that Professor O'Donnell presented 

 a classification of livestock — a uniform classification of the livestock — 

 yesterday at the meeting of the Secretaries of County Fairs, and I think 

 that it is an excellent thing to do. A mixed classification interferes with 

 the educational features of the County Fair very materially. 



I judged at fairs this fall in which we had Angus cattle. Shorthorn 

 cattle, Holstein cattle and Jersey cattle in their respective classes, and 

 then we had the winners of all four of those breeds come together for 

 sweepstakes. Now, just think of a judge who had passed upon the cham- 

 pion bull of the show having to decide between a Shorthorn, an Angus, a 

 Jersey and a Holstein. And, by the way, Mr. Barney, I gave it to the Hol- 

 stein at that time. Hut the educational feature of that work, it seems to 

 me, was largely spoiled and dissipated by the fact that these different 

 breeds were brought together. I am sure you discussed that question 

 thoroughly yesterday. 



I want to make a plea, also, at our County Fairs, for a more prom- 

 inent place for our livestock show; especially for the judging work. 

 Oftentimes the judging work of livestock is crowded off in a corner. I 

 don't think it is intentional — just sort of overlooked. Probably lopped 

 over a little on the side of making this work amusing; but I would like — 

 to come back — to make the livestock part of the show especially educa- 

 tional and give it a prominent place on the program. I would like to see 

 bleachers, or something of that kind, where people could sit down and 

 watch the judges judge the livestock, and would like the judge to give 

 his reason for every class he judges. That makes his work educational, 

 and he had just as well do it. I know from experience that he will make 

 a better impression and give better satisfaction if he gives a reason for 

 each class he judges than if he does not. That does not mean that he 

 needs to be cruel in giving these reasons. If he has to study fifteen min- 

 utes or so between the two animals before he decides which one is the 

 better, let him take the time. It is a well known fact that it is very diffi- 



