74 TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART 11 



three years, was represented with a splendid exhibit of over 80 fleeces 

 in the sheep building and another exhibit of blankets and automobile 

 robes In the agricultural building. 



This year the association sold 11,250 double blankets to its members 

 in exchange for wool at current market rates. Next year, several other 

 lines, like auto robes, etc., will be added. 



The Iowa State College had a number of educational exhibits under 

 the grandstand that called attention to some of the investigational work 

 that is being done at that institution. One exhibit was of a 160-acre 

 Story county farm as it actually is. On this farm, the following crops 

 were grown this year: 45 acres corn, 31 acres corn, 4 acres corn, 4.4 

 acres corn, 5 acres clover, 4.5 acres rye, 3.8 acres hay, 8.4 acres pasture, 

 5 acres hay and 46 acres oats. Note that corn was grown in four fields, 

 pasture in two and hay in two. In other words, the cropping system was 

 without any plan. The fields were laid out in the exhibit exactly as 

 they now are on the farm and crops were growing in them to represent 

 the actual crops on the farm. 



Adjoining this exhibit was a suggested improved plan, under which 

 the farm was divided into five four-acre fields, four 28-acre fields and one 

 24-acre field. For the small fields the following rotation was suggested: 

 Rye, clover, com and rape, and corn and soy beans. For the large 

 fields a five-year rotation of corn, corn, oats, clover and pasture was 

 suggested. This improved plan made it possible to carry on a definite 

 rotation of crops, save fencing, reduce labor costs and keep up the fer* 

 tility of the land in better shape. The lesson taught was that it pays 

 to devote some time to the management of the farm. 



The deparment of chemistry of the college showed an experiment in 

 withdrawing the so-called vitamines from the food of a rabbit. Two 

 rabbits had been fed normal rations till they were full grown, at which 

 time both were in perfect health. For six weeks the vitamines were 

 withheld from rabbit No. 1, while rabbit No. 2 remained on a normal 

 ration. As a result No. 1 became emaciated in about six weeks and 

 lost his eyesight. No. 2 remained in good health. No. 1 was then 

 given feed to eat which contains certain of the vitamines and it at once 

 began to improve, but the blindness has not been overcome, and never 

 will. The lesson was that the vitamines — which are all found in whole 

 milk — are essential to animal health, and that milk is an exceedingly 

 valuable food, because of its vitamine content as well as its other nu- 

 trients. 



A soil map of Polk county was exhibited, which showed every type 

 of soil found on every farm in the county as determined by a soil survey 

 made of the county by the soils section of the college. Complete soil 

 surveys have now been made of 40 counties in the state and seven more 

 will be completed this year. Fertilizer tests are being conducted on the 

 different soil types and records made thereof. When this work has 

 been completed it will be possible for the college to give definite in- 

 formation in regard to the fertilizer needs of the soils on any farm In 

 the state, and thus be of great assistance to farmers in the management 

 of their soils from a fertility point of view. 



