TWENTIETH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 413 



before recorded. For the first time all the spaces given over to machinery 

 exhibits were filled to ovornovving, and virtually all available outdoor space 

 was taken up with the tents and exhibits of manufacturers and distributors 

 who are making the most of this period of activity when reconstruction 

 is taking the place of destruction. 



Not only were the exhibits of machinery, implements, appliances, and such 

 like far in excess of anything hitherto seen at the Iowa State Pair, but the 

 live stock exhibits especially were the largest on record. 



All of the swine pens, some 1.100 in number, were filled and hogs were 

 shown in old sheep pens' and in tents nearby — a thing that never liappcned 

 before. Of hogs there were 3,197 on exhibition, the general quality of which 

 was at least up to that of former years. 



On this point it is well to remember that as a general proposition, there 

 is not a noticeable improvement in the champion hogs shown every year. 

 Some remarkably good hogs of all the popular breeds have been sent to 

 the large agricultural fairs and expositions ■ for a good many years. Im- 

 provement is along the line of widening interest in pure-bred swine rather 

 than in the actual approach towards perfection of any single animal. Type 

 changes, to be sure, as the years run on, to meet changing needs. The 

 small, compact, showy types have been largely superseded by what is 

 known asf "big type," in response to an economic demand for hogs that 

 will attain great size when fed out long enough, or that will procreate 

 young that will mature quickly and grow into desirable market weights 

 at six to eight months. 



Many of the older breeders divided honors this year with the younger 

 ones who are Just getting into the game. Almost universal was the word 

 that "they had nothing to complain of in the hog business." The lowest 

 mortality from hog cholera on record (41 in 1,000 in the state of Iowa) 

 has' helped to encourage the more extensive growing of pure-bred animals. 

 We frankly set down here our belief that before many years practically 

 all Iowa farmers will be raising pure-bred hogs — if not actually registered, 

 then virtually "thoroughbred" by the continued use of pedigreed boars and 

 the selection of outstanding sows for reproduction. 



In the beef cattle classes all of the prominent breeds, for which not only 

 Iowa, but the adjoining states are noted, were represented by strings of 

 high-class animals that shed glory on the breeding profession and did 

 credit to the fair management in inducing such an ample display of the 

 best in this line. In quality and finish these cattle were possibly a little 

 above those shown in the paSt two years, and the number of entries ex- 

 celled that of last year. Breeders have enjoyed good sales and high prices 

 for the past several years and most of them declared their entire satisfac- 

 tion with the general situation. The outlook as indicated by the exhibits 

 at the state fair and at other fairs, and by the tone of the business trade 

 generally, is for a continuance of profitable business for several years to 

 come. 



The dairy cattle were of such numbers and quality to indicate the in- 

 creasing interest in dairying in this section. One of the most valuable 

 features of the dairy exhibit was the cow testing exhibit under the aus- 

 pices of the Ames Agricultural College, in which individual records re- 

 vealed the fact that you can't most always sometimes tell what a cow can 

 or will do by way of performances merely by her outsides. The only cer- 

 tain method is to weigh and Babcock test the milk of every cow on the 

 place. This should be done often enough to get a line on her output dur- 

 ing an entire year,* after which it will be in order to hand out the medals 

 where they belong and to dismiss to the cannery those who fail to come 

 across with the price of keeping plus a fair profit to the owner. 



The sheep pens were fairly well filled and an increasing number of milch 

 goats attracted the attention of the curious. Poultry in increasing num- 

 bers were entered, some 500 fowls being required to exhibit their charms 

 outside the regular poultry building. 



Even the horse exhibit was better tlian might bo expected in these days 

 when hor^e breeding is something of ah uncertain quantity. The heavy 



