66 



increase the premium list, which resulted in bringing out more new 

 varieties and created a wonderful lot of enthusiasm. 



When it came time to prepare for the third exposition a list was 

 adopted calling for $138.00 in cash premiums, which resulted in bring- 

 ing out such a large exhibit of choice nuts that when we came to make 

 preparation for the fourth exposition the premium list was increased 

 to a total of -$181.50. This brought out so many fine nuts that it be- 

 came a common thing to hear the remark, among the visitors that it 

 was the most important department in the exposition, 



For the coming exposition, to be heM next November, the premium 

 list as adopted calls for $280.00 in cash premiums, and while I am 

 no prophet I am going to predict that it will result in bringing to- 

 gether the largest nut exliibit ever collected under one roof in the 

 United States. 



At our last exjiosition held in Council Bluffs, some of the directors 

 of our state fair observed that the nut dei^artment was attracting 

 much attention and was bringing a good many visitors to the exposi- 

 tion. They decided that they must liave a nut premium list for the 

 state fair and requested me to make up a list covering the nut subject 

 as strictly applied to the State of Iowa. This I did and am attaching 

 the list hereto. Althougli our state fair comes off in the month of 

 August, and no nuts are available for exhibit, except such as happen 

 to be kept over from the previous year's crop, yet it brought out at our 

 1923 fair the largest and best exhibit of nuts that has ever been 

 shown within this state, not excepting the exhibits of the exposition. 

 The board of directors were so well pleased with the interest mani- 

 fested in the nut department that they are continuing the list for this 

 year's fair and doubtless it will become a permanent feature of future 

 fairs of this state. 



So much publicity and attention has been given the nut question 

 within our state that it has resulted in bringing to light several new 

 varieties that we think should be propagated before the original trees 

 may liave been destroyed. 



Tlie horticultural department of our Iowa State Agricultural Col- 

 lege is now taking an active interest in the nut question and has as- 

 signed one of the professors to the job of collecting information about 

 and taking pictures of, the best known nut trees within the state. 



If they follow up the nut subject with as much vim and energy as 

 they have other phases of horticulture we may look for something in 

 the nut line in the next few years that will be worth while. 



