Later suggestions for corn demonstrations

Media

Part of Philippine Craftsman

Title
Later suggestions for corn demonstrations
Creator
Foreman, North H.
Language
English
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
LATER SUGGESTIONS FOR CORN DEMONSTRATIONS. CORN demonstrations are being held throughout the Philippines as leading features of the corn campaign. A successful demonstration must contain certain definite features and should conform in spirit to the objects of the corn campaign; namely, to foster the growing of corn by increasing the hectarage, by bettering the yield, and by acquainting the people with the use of corn as a food for man. These matters must be handled in a manner to make certain of reaching and attracting the attention of the Filipino farmer, who is the actual grower and the chief consumer of corn. He must be present, must enjoy the festivity, must become interested in the display of farm machinery and corn features, and must not only eat corn foods but also learn how they are best prepared. Experience has shown that the farmer will attend such dem· onstrations if they include features in which he is interested. As a general plan, the demonstration should be given in special booths grouped around some central feature and made attractive by decorations suggestive of the uses of corn. An excellent plan of arrangement would be to have a central booth in which to show the leading corn features and to have the other booths placed so as to form a compact group. The central booth should be divided into seven sections, each displaying salient points pertaining to the production or the consumption of corn. Boys trained to explain to the public the various features of each section should be in charge. These explanations should consist of prepared three-minute talks given alternately in English and in the local dialect. The use of the dialect is advisable, since the Filipino farmer does not yet understand any language other than his mother tongue. Each of the seven sections of the central booth should be decorated and properly placarded, and should contain the articles to be used by the demonstrators in illustrating their talks. 1. The first section ghould contain (a) sterile plants, (b) plants with two ears, (c) plants with one ear, (d) very good plants, and (e) poor plants. 2. The second section should contain ((t) good ears of corn, 487 488 THE PHILIPPI:Yt: CRciFTS.IIAN (b) ears with good and poor tips, (c) ears with good and poor butts, (d) ears of dent corn, (e) ears of flint corn, {f) very poor ears, and (g) fair ears. 3. The third section should contain (a) a collection of good and bad seed kernels, (b) good seed ears, (c) ears "tipped and butted." (d) ears showing from what part of the ear to take grains for testing, (e) a box seed germinator with the squares marked and numbered, containing sprouted seeds, and (/) two or three plate germinators showing sprouting seeds. 4. The fourth section should contain (a) good ears of corn, (b) poor ears of corn, (c) a boy engaged in shelling corn by hand, and (d) a hand corn sheller. 1-'lote I. The preparation of corn me111. booth at Pa•lp, Rl<al, corn demonolrolion. 5. The fifth section should be devoted to an exhibit of corn meal, and should contain (a) a stone mill in actual operation, (b) a modern hand corn mill in operation, (c) preparing corn meal with pestle and mortar, (d) a sieve for sifting meal, and (e) some glasses or jars containing well prepared yellow and white corn meal. 6. The sixth Rection should contain an exhibit of things detrimental to good corn, including (a) corn stalks containing smut, (b) a bottle containing weevils, (c) three or four wee~il· eaten ears of corn, (d) ears with tightly closed tips, (e) insect damaged corn stalks for which a remedy is known. 7. The seventh section should be devoted to corn products such SUGGESTIONS FOR CORN DE.IJOSSTRATJONS 489 as (a) a display in glasses of all the corn dishes served at the demonstration, (b) corn meal, (c) a bundle of fodder, (d) a small corn-husk mattress, (e) a corn-husk door mat, (f) corncob pipes, (g) syrup made from corncobs, and (h) corn pith. Tables of statistics should be used freely in this booth. As the crowd gathers around this booth at the close of the civic parade, attracted by the music which will serve to announce the opening, the young man in Section No. 1 will give his illustrated talk. As soon as he has finished, the young man in Section No. 2 will explain the features in his section, and so on around the entire booth. When all sections have been explained the talks will be repeated in the same order throughout the demonstration. A demonstration carried out in this manner could not be otherwise than instructive to the people. The several booths devoted to the preparation and serving of corn food should be attractively decorated. Filipino girls Pltle 11. Corn pyrtml<l, corn 6emoMirtllon.Calamba.Lauunt. properly costumed and instructed as to the correct method of preparing and serving corn dishes should be in charge of the food booths. Certain demonstrators in each booth should be employed in cooking the corn food while others are engaged in giving short talks. Every corn recipe demonstrated should be printed both in English and in the local dialect and be available for distribution. In a series of six booths the illustrated talks should begin with Booth No. 1 and continue in the same manner as outlined for the central booth. To illustrate the trend of such talks let us consider hominy, The young lady giving the talk should take a branch of the guava bush with the leaves attached, so that it may be readily recognized by the people, and in the course of her talk should 490 THE PHILIPPIXE CRAFTS.I!AN show the charred stick, guava ashes, how the lye is made, some dry corn, how the hard outside is removed, the washing, the cooking, and the prepared hominy. Such an illustrated talk given in the local dialect, and readily understood by even the unlettered rural Filipino must be highly instructive. At the close of the talk the hominy recipes should be distributed and samples of prepared hominy served. The young ladies in the other booths may give their talks in the same manner. The talks should be short, preferably not longer than three minutes each, and to the point, and they should be repeated at intervals. If thought desirable, an adjoining booth may contain a display of farm implements. This booth should be handled in the saffie manner as the other features of the demonstration. The short talks explaining the things shown at corn demonstrations are the most valuable features of the campaign. Such a small number of the people are readers of newspapers and peSCGGEST/0.\'S f'OR CORS DEMO.\'STR.I T/ONS 491 riodicals that information is mainly received through word of mouth. Accordingly, instructive lectures are very popular, as Filipinos are always willing to remain for hours, even under uncomfortable coilditions, to hear instructive talks dealing directly with matters pertaining to their daily lives. While certain athletics may be included in the program, care should be exercised to see that games, exhibits and entertainment features are given minor consideration so as not to overshadow the corn topics. The best demonstrations have included only a baseball or basket ball game and good music in addition to the corn features. Enthusiasm for the occasion should be aroused by having the Plot~ IV. King Corn, Calamba. Ltguna. people decorate their homes and the public buildings with corn. Sood.tntlna ex~lblt, Batangu corn demontlrtllon. 492 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN Even the public vehicles may be decorated in order to lend interest and spirit to the occasion. The day should be devoted to corn topics. Both young and old should be interested and made to think of corn as some· thing better than a food for animals, to be used by man only after an apology for the poverty that compels him to place such food before a guest. Corn is king even in such a prosperous country as the United States of America and there is no reason why it should not become at least a good wholesome supplement to rice in the Philippines. When I was keeper of the herds I always saw to it that ali of my cattle were strong, healthy and growing, that there was water in abundance and plenty of feed. When I had charge of the public granaries I never slept until I knew that all was secure and cared for against the weather and my accounts as true and correct as if I were going on my long journey to return no more. My advice is to slight nothing, never leave things to chance, nor say, "Nobody will know-this is good enough."CONFUCIUS. There are five good principles of action to be adopted: To benefit others without being lavish; to encourage labor without being harsh; to add to your resources without being covetous; to be dignified without being supercilious; and to inspire awe without being austere.-CONFUCIUS. The State of Minnesota has engaged Dr. Ernest B. Hoag, a health expert, to travel about the State and demonstrate to the citizens that rational conservation of the mental and physical health of children is possible and practicable with the means a1ready at hand. Three plans are proposed: (1) Organization with a medical officer and a nurse or nurses; (2) organization with a school nurse or nurses only; (3) organization by the employment of a simple nonmedical health·survey on the part of the teacher only. To make it possible for every community, however small, to possess the necessary technical knowledge, the State board of health will maintain at the State capital a "clearing house of information concerning child hygiene, medical supervision, the teaching of school hygiene, and the like."