PENNEL A SCHOOL FAIR 



79 



provides the opportunity of getting our work before the pubHc, 

 that they may see the real value of Elementary Agriculture as 

 a subject to be taught in all our schools, and we as teachers, if we 

 are to keep it in its rightful place, i.e. in the curricultim of our 

 grade schools, have simply got to put forth an extra effort in the 

 handling of the subject and to be ever alert to take advantage of the 

 many opportunities offered us to show the public the result of 

 our teaching and personally I believe the School Fair is the answer. 

 In planning for a fair begin as early as possible, appoint 

 the committees necessary arid see to it that the principal of the 

 school in which the fair is to be held is a member of the committee 

 for you will need his cooperation. Call a meeting and decide im- 

 mediately upon the date of the exhibit, which should be preferably in 

 September and be sure and inquire the average date of the first frost 

 in your locality in deciding on the date. 



Prizes should next be considered, and these should be of such 

 nature as to carry with them the spirit of the garden movement, 

 such as garden tools, books on gardening, agricultural journals etc. 

 and avoid cash prizes as much as possible. Fimds are not wholly 

 necessary to the success of a fair, as I have always found manufac- 

 turers, publishers, etc. very willing to donate prizes for this work. 

 The date having been decided upon and the prizes collected, 

 you are now ready for the premium list, a copy of which should 

 be in each classroom before the summer vacation, so that the pupils 

 may know how to plan for the various classes. This classification 

 should be as simple as possible and be so arranged as to not 

 exclude any child. The aim should be to have every child exhibit 

 something that he has grown even though it be but a bunch of 

 parsley. A large number of small exhibits, rather than a few 

 large exhibits shows the interest has been aroused and without 

 that the fair will surely fail. 



Herewith is a classification that worked out well in Bloomfield. 



Best Display of Garden Vegetables. 1st, 2d, and 3d prize. 



Single Varieties. One prize will be given for each variety of 

 garden vegetable shown. Where the number of competitors 

 warrants, a second and third prize will be given. 



Specifications as to the number of the root crops in a bunch, 

 quanitity of each vegetable shown etc. or to enlarge the premium list 

 to include flowers, poultry etc. will have to be worked out for 



