312 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



and indeed almost any product of field or garden. These 

 crops may be grown by young people at their homes in con- 

 nection with school work, club work, or in the "part time 

 method" of agricultural education, in which credit is given 

 at school for work done out of school. 



Yield contests require attention on the part of some one 

 in charge to ascertain carefully the areas and yields. Mere 

 statements on the part of the contestants should be verified by 

 a special committee without prejudice. The actual width and 

 length of areas planted must be known. From this the area 

 in square rods or fraction of an acre must be determined. 

 Yields may be expressed in either weight or measure, but in 

 every case the method of determining yield should be the same. 

 With corn yields the product may be measured after husking, 

 but in other cases the com is allowed to become dry enough 

 to keep in a crib before it is weighed or measured. Measuring 

 the yield of corn, for example, is more practical than weigh- 

 ing it, as many farms do not have proper scales. In measuring 

 corn a bushel basket, shaken down and very slightly heaped, 

 is used as a unit of measurement. For each crop the method 

 to be followed in determining the yield must be stated in ad- 

 vance; condition of crop, time, manner, size of yield and all 

 other details must be included. The same conamittee that is to 

 determine the yield should also determine the area. This 

 means considerable work on the part of a few unbiased persons. 

 The work may be lightened by dividing it up among the mem- 

 bers of a large committee. 



Score Cards for Contests. — So far as possible the form 

 to be used in the judging of products should be published 

 with the premium lists. This is possible in cases of such 

 products as com, potatoes, sweet potatoes, apples, bread, toma- 

 toes, sugar beets, cotton and others. A few score cards with 

 brief explanations are given here. A suitable score card for 

 corn will be found in the special chapter on corn. 



