210 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



wall around the state of Iowa and prohibited the receiving of an 

 exhibit from the outside, Iowa could give as good a livestock show, 

 and as good a fair, in that condition as that splendid show that they 

 put on last fall. There must be a reason for all this ! It didn't come 

 about by itself. The county fairs each and every one have done 

 your bit to bring this about. It has been by your efforts and by the 

 teachings, by ocular demonstration, that has advanced Iowa to such 

 an illustrous place in the roster of states. You have just reason to 

 be proud of your work, and your work has just begun, it is in its in- 

 fancy. The amount of good that the county fairs can do is incal- 

 culable. You know all about Ames college and all that it stands for. 

 There is no place it could have existed had it not been for the 

 sentiment created and fostered by your county fairs. In the present 

 day and age it is generally considered that the old way of farming 

 must go, that it is gone. The idea of working hard on a farm, hard 

 enough to break down your health and break your neck for four 

 or five months in the year and toasting your shins before the fire- 

 side the balance of the year, is a thing of the past. The farmer must 

 be productively busy for twelve months in the year. Have you ever 

 thought of what a bad example your county fair sets to the farmer 

 when you think that 95 plants, representing a very large investment, 

 are standing idle out there, to be used only one week out of fifty-two ? 

 Every county, I guess, in the state of Iowa has a farm adviser. 

 The farm adviser is supposed to bring to the farmer the knowledge 

 that is stored up in all the institutions of learning with regard to 

 agriculture. His work, however, cannot be a success unless the 

 farmers tell him what they know about the peculiarities of the soil. 

 There is a large work to be done in every county which no agricul- 

 tural college will ever take up or ever can take up. I believe that 

 every county fair should get in touch with its agricultural agent or 

 county agent, whatever the name is, and say "Now, here's our fair 

 grounds ; we'll employ the help ; you put in the crop." That can be 

 up and out of the way before fair time. Every county fair should 

 use it centerfield. Take a half-mile track, how large is the center- 

 field? The center-field covers just about twenty acres, and it would 

 be pretty nice to have a 35-bushel wheat crop come out of there at 

 the present price per bushel. So that, taking that as one, you have 

 got a lot of things to solve. Iowa has all kinds of conditions. The 

 land in one county is river-bottom, another is reclaimed swamp 

 land, another prairie, and in another county it is slightly undulating. 

 In some of your creeks you are sending down more fertility in one 



