TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 453 



The award should be for excellence, and no matter how many articles are 

 exhibited in a class or how few, no premium should be given unless de- 

 served. 



The competition is not so much with others as with excellence. The 

 exhibits, therefore, should be rated and the award made as this is ap- 

 proached. Accordingly, for the information of competitors, there should 

 be published with each class of exhibits the requirements that will be con- 

 sidered by the judges, and as far as pcss'ble the percentage for each re- 

 quirement as it enters into the make-up of a standard article or animal in 

 that class. 



Special premiums should be offered for new methods, or for new plants, 

 animals, or implements introduced and of superior excellence. Similar 

 special premiums should be offered for successful farms, for special 

 crops, or for he^'ds of animals reared by the owner on any farm, and 

 for superior orchards and gardens; for school buildings, including also 

 chu'chyards, country cemeteries, and other items that can not be shown 

 at the fair, but are worthy of special recognition as evidences of intelli- 

 gent treatment or marked success. 



LOCATION OF THE GROUNDS. 



The fair grounds should be accessible to steam and trolley lines. If 

 possible, the buildings should not be far from some town, of a size suffi- 

 cient at least to supply hotel accommodations for visitors during the 

 fair and with a population that can be depended upon for patronage. In 

 most instances the county town is the most advantageous location owing 

 to its size and the opportunities afforded for visHors to shop and attend 

 to such legal business as may require the advice of an attorney or access 

 to the county records. 



Location near a town is a^so insurance against total failure in times 

 of unfavorable weather that prevents attendance by visitors from the 

 adjcining country. Local pride sometimes secures support by the town 

 residents that would be wholly absent if the fair had no constituency 

 specially interested in its success. Exhibits also of great variety can fre- 

 quently be had from the business houses of the town, and from private 

 collections where the location is within easy reach. 



SIZE OF THE GROUNDS. 



The amount of land considered necessary for a county fair has hereto- 

 fore been determined largely by the size of the speedway or racing course. 

 The course varies from one-third to one-half or to even 1 mile in length, 

 and the g"ounds have been correspondingly extended to accommodate 

 this length. Leaving out of account the racing features, the require- 

 ments of an ordinary fair would be simply for room indoors sufficient to 

 accommodate the exhibits of farm products, animals, and machinery, to- 

 gether with a show ring with seating capacity for from 500 to 1,000 per- 

 sons, depending upon the locality. This last can a'so be used as an 

 audience hall for public meetings. Rooms should be provided for the 

 president, the secretary, and the various committees. There should also 



