FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART III 193 



laugh about ; too serious a matter to pass off without serious thought 

 and therefore, I move that this matter be continued until tonight 

 at the banquet. 



Motion seconded, put and carried. 



Chairman : The next subject will be ' ' Uniformity in Premium 

 List Classification," by Mr. Roy^. O'Donnell of Ames. 



UNIFORMITY IN PREMIUM LIST CLASSIFICATION. 



BY ROY F. O'DONNELL, AMES. 



Mr. Chairman and Felloiu Farmers: 



Speaking of the subject of the uniformity of fairs in the premium list is 

 a question that bothers every exhibitor that ever shows at the county fairs. 

 I had a little chat a few minutes ago with Mr. Pickard, who, by the way, 

 is secretary of a fair at which I judged, completing last year my ninth 

 year. Preceding that, for about ten years, I had experience, with my 

 father, showing hogs — ever since I have been able to carry a hog hurdle — 

 and I have come in contact with good, bad and indifferent fairs, good, bad 

 and indifferent management, and I should say that the one thing more 

 than anything else that is bothering the fair management of the various 

 fairs of this state is the question of where the amusement features shall 

 end. and where the educational features shall begin. These are the two 

 things — amusement and education. I think one thing that has been put 

 in the background in the past is the question of premiums for live 

 stock. I notice Mr. McLaughlin sitting over there. I would like to ask 

 how long would McLaughlin continue to exhibit at fairs if he did not 

 have the money paid on the exhibit. Still, at many fairs they have paid 

 all expenses, paid for the amusement features, paid for the races, and 

 all those things, and, after that, pay the farmer so many cents on the 

 dollar for bringing in his stock, simply, or, at least, to all appearances, as- 

 suming that that man has been to no expense in bringing that stock in. 

 Now, that is not right, from the standpoint of the man who makes that 

 show. During the last year some three or four of us in the extension 

 department who have been judging from three to five, six or eight years, 

 conceived the idea of getting together with you men and formulating a 

 uniform classification in such a way that every man that exhibited live 

 stock would have a fair shake. Just to illustrate, down in the south 

 part of the state there is a fair, which I attended, I should judge it was 

 four or five years ago, that offered for first prize standard bred stallion 

 $10, and then combined on Percheron, Belgian, Clydesdale and Shires an 

 offer of $10 for the first prize on all four breeds. Now, I want to ask 

 you men if that is fair for the breeders of horses. Last year I was going 

 to mention that question, but so many things came up that I did not get 

 the opportunity, so I know you men will pardon the infliction at this 

 time. • 



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