656 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



Premiums could be offered for reports on experiments or demonstra- 

 tions conducted on seed selection and improvement; school garden work, 

 labor-saving conveniences, and also to individuals for the best school rec- 

 ord for the year; for a review of some bulletin or agricultural book; for 

 the most money made by the pupil's own exertions; for the best exhibit 

 of agricultural products; for the best crop of not less than an acre of 

 corn, wheat, rye, oats, potatoes, or vegetables grown by himself; for a 

 complete diary of a year's operations on a farm; for the best kept set of 

 books of account; for stock judging and other forms of judging, etc. 



The county or state fair also might offer premiums for the successful 

 competitor in subjects that bear on the general improvement of agricul- 

 ture in the region, especially such as relate to plant and animal breeding, 

 cattle feeding, dairying, bee keeping, sheep raising, poultry rearing, egg 

 production, fruit growing, etc. 



In addition to the subjects discussed in the meetings, the institutes for 

 young people should outline courses for home reading, taking up definite 

 groups of subjects or lines of work, and should assist the readers in ob- 

 taining- bulletins and other publications from their state experiment sta- 

 tions and the United States Department of Agriculture. The institutes 

 might also include a brief systematic course in the generally neglected 

 but most important subjects of farm bookkeeping, local laws, local history, 

 farm management, etc., and they might discuss the advantages and oper- 

 ations of cooperative associations organized for the purpose of buying and 

 selling and for securing the more economical transportation and distri- 

 bution of farm products. 



DIRECTIONS FOR CONTESTS. 



In contest work a necessary preliminary is a carefully prepared plan, 

 giving full directions for carrying out the various operations which the 

 contest embraces, the method of judging, and the nature of the awards. 

 These plans and directions should be prepared by competent experts, and 

 the various points to be observed should be stated fully and clearly, so 

 as to be unmistakable and readily understood by the average young per- 

 son of 14 years of age. The plans, specifications, and forms of score cards 

 used in judging should be printed in leaflet form and be distributed as 

 widely as possible among the young people of the community whom the 

 institute is endeavoring to reach. Each leaflet should deal with a separate 

 subject and be a complete outline of the method of treatment to be fol- 

 lowed. 



SYSTEMATIC COURSE IN CONTEST WORK. 



The contest feature of the young people's institute should be graded so 

 as to be as far as possible a complete and progressive course. When com- 

 pleted a certificate should be given stating the work performed by the 

 contestant during the period in which he was a member of the institute. 



