SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART II 31 



STALLION REGISTRATION DIVISION. 



Up to December 1, 1916, the Stallion Registration Division is- 

 sued 6,005 state certificates for pure-bred stallions, 2,150 for grade 

 stallions, 432 for pure-bred jacks and 499 for grade jacks. In addi- 

 tion to this the division also issued 1,663 transfer certificates. It is 

 of interest to know the percentage of pure-bred stallions has grad- 

 ually increased since the passage of our present stallion law. In 

 1912, the first year the law was in force, 69 per cent of all the 

 stallions offered for public service were of pure breeding. In 1913 

 the percentage remained about the same ; in 1914 70 per cent were 

 pure breds; 1915, 72 per cent and in 1916 74 per cent. This is a 

 larger percentage of pure bred stallions than will be found in any 

 other state. The reports from other states show that for the year 

 1915 Illinois had 63 per cent pure breds, Wisconsin 59 per cent, 

 Kansas 56 per cent, Indiana 54 per cent and ^Minnesota 51 per 

 cent. 



This is a showing our draft horse breeders should certainly be 

 proud of. The figures for Iowa would indicate the stallion law is 

 fulfilling the purpose for which it was enacted by gradually reduc- 

 ing the percentage of grade sires and diminishing the number of 

 unsound sires among pure breds. 



STATE PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT. 



The State Publicity Department which has been conducted by 

 the Department of Agriculture for the past four years, without 

 financial assistance from the state, has proved conclusively that 

 there are wonderful opportunities for a department of this kind. 

 However, to accomplish the work that should be done there should 

 l)y state aid to cover the salary of the director, stenographer, and 

 the expense of printing and postage. The expense of conducting 

 this department has been about $5,000 a year and has been paid 

 from the fees received in the Stallion Registration Division and the 

 state fair funds. This year the department published and mailed 

 300,000 copies of GREATER IOWA, the official monthly publica- 

 tion. In addition to this, statistical data and other information has 

 been complied and supplied to booster organizations. The depart- 

 ment is also called upon to answer hundreds of inquiries pertain- 

 ing to Iowa land, agriculture and live stock from parties both in 

 and outside the state. 



