PROCEEDINGS STATE AGRICULTURAi. CONVENTION «T 



larger than 1916. In comparing the attendance for the entire fair 

 period with that of 1920, it showed a decrease of about 23^ per 

 cent. A similar falling off in attendance was reported by prac- 

 tically every large state fair in the Middle West this year. As a 

 state fair normally reflects the business and agricultural condition 

 in the territory in which it is held, this falling off was in keeping 

 with other lines of business throughout the state of Iowa. The 

 war and post-war attendance can hardly be taken as a fair index 

 on which to judge the attendance, because of the prosperity of the 

 country during those years and the freedom with which people 

 generally were spending money. 



Two inches of rain Tuesday night and one-half inch early Fri- 

 day morning resulted in cutting down the attendance dependent 

 upon the automobile. The inadequate transportation facilities be- 

 tween the city and the fair grounds not only cut the local atten- 

 dance, especially after six o'clock in the evening, but also had a 

 discouraging effect upon out of town attendance. 



Tuesday, August 30th was the largest day of the fair in point 

 of attendance. A total of 46,215 passed through the gates on this 

 day. Friday, August 26th, ranks second with 44,088, and Monday, 

 August 29th, was third with 41,898. Monday was Farm Bureau 

 Day and probably one of the most important days of the fair from 

 an agricultural standpoint. The big assembly tent where the 

 Farm Bureau meetings were held was filled to overflowing. Na- 

 tional Farm Bureau authorities came to the fair to speak to mem- 

 bers of the organization and put on a program which was of prac- 

 tical benefit to every farmer who attended. 



The attendance of World War veterans on Legion Day this 

 >*ear showed a marked increase over that of 1920. In 1920, 1217 

 war veterans took advantage of the free admission privileges, 

 while 4211 were admitted on Legion Day this year. The Civil 

 War veterans and their wives were not as largely represented dur- 

 ing the fair as in 1920. A total of 1692 took advantage of this 

 year's free admission as against 2566 last year. 



More women, representing a wnder field of interests, attended 

 the programs and demonstrations in the women's department of 

 the 1921 Iowa State Fair than ever before in the history of the 

 exposition. 



On the second day of the fair officials in charge of the women's 

 building had to call for extra help to handle the crowds. Up to the 



