328 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



Lockwood, Dade county, $181; Trenton, Grundy county, $300 

 Sikeston, Scott county, $300; Mansfield, Wright county, $55.12 

 Clark, Randolph county, $290.86; Cuba, Crawford county, $300 

 Palmyra, Marion county, $300; Knox City, Knox county, $300 

 Maysville, DeKalb county, $224.47; Independence, Jackson 

 county, $300; Fayette, Howard county, $300; California, Moni- 

 teau county, $249.39; Brookfield, Linn county, $274.50; Linn, 

 Osage county, $113.52; Ava, Douglas county, $77.32; Piedmont, 

 Wayne county, $191.28; Bunceton, Cooper county, $300. 



SOME FACTS ABOUT MISSOURI FAIRS. 



(W. L. Nelson.) 



The following facts concerning Missouri county fairs are 

 compiled from reports made to the Secretary of the State Board 

 of Agriculture in connection with applications for State aid: 



As between the street fair with its side shows, and the big 

 speed meets, the old-fashioned fair has been having a fight for 

 existence. This is true, notwithstanding that practically all 

 county fairs are conducted at a minimum of cost. Generally the 

 secretary, who is expected to do $1,000 worth of work for from 

 $25 to $100, is the only officer or director who draws a "salary." 

 In practically every instance the president and all the directors 

 serve without pay, giving freely of their time and often of 

 their money to make the fair a success. Despite all this attempt 

 at saving, forty-one of the sixty-eight Missouri county fairs 

 that received State aid during the year 1913 are in debt. The 

 total indebtedness of these forty-one fairs is $62,809.95, and 

 ranges from $175 to $15,000. In the majority of cases where 

 the indebtedness is any considerable amount or of long standing 

 it has been occasioned by the purchase of land or the erection of 

 buildings. The twenty-five fairs that are out of debt have ac- 

 cumulated a total surplus of $11,773.76. 



The total value of buildings and grounds owned by the sixty- 

 eight associations is $154,395. Of this amount the grounds 

 alone represent an investment of $104,550 and buildings $49,845. 

 Of the associations reporting, forty-one own their own grounds 

 while the others have grounds leased. The real estate holdings 

 of twenty-one associations each amount to $5,000 or more. 

 Thirteen associations each have as much as $5,000 invested in 

 buildings. Total investments of twenty each amount to $10,000 

 or more. 



