52 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Fair."" Jt heemeJ each and every department was filled to its ca- 

 pacity and some of them away beyond their capacity. 



Jt is not my intention to review the exhibits in each department 

 Imt I feel I should refer to some of the ontstandin^ features and a 

 few of the difficulties the mauagjement had in housing the exhibits 

 with the present accommodations. This year we had 127 exhibitors 

 in the horse department and they entered 972 head of horses, ponies 

 and mules, and actually showed 767 head. In 1915 we had 923 

 head entered and 684 shown. You will note there were about 200 

 less horses shown than were entered each year. The facts are our 

 present horse barns, some of which are not desirable and poorly lo- 

 cated, will only accommcdate ahout 800 head of horses. The result 

 is after the entries are in and stalls have been assigned there are 

 about 175 head that are left without stalls assigned. The exhib- 

 itors have learned unless they receive their stall assignment a week 

 or ten days prior to the fair the chances are they will be obliged to 

 go in tents, so they do not show up. This not only creates dissat- 

 isfaction among the breeders and exhibitors but it is very embar- 

 rassing for the management. It is unfair to invite the breeders to 

 exhibit their fine horses and then not be in a position to furnish 

 them satisfactory quarters in Avhich to stable them. 



In the cattle department there were 120 exhibitors who entered 

 1,350 head and showed 1,203. This is a new record for the Iowa 

 State Fair and one that we do not believe has ever been equaled 

 by any show in America. There were 322 head of Shorthorns on 

 the grounds, which is a record Shorthorn show for this country. 

 There were 59 head of senior bull calves shown in one ring, which 

 is also a record ring for the United States. 



The cattle show Avas vrell balanced. All breeds being Avell repre- 

 sented by the finest types of the respective breeds. There were 

 787 head of beef and 416 head of dairy cattle on exhibition. 



The accommodations for cattle are even more deplorable than 

 those for the horses. There are stalls for about 300 head of cattle 

 in the permanent barns, which form a part of the proposed cattle 

 barn, that are very good. There are also stalls for about 650 head 

 in the old frame cattle barns which are in bad condition and not 

 easily reached by the public. The balance of about 250 head we 

 were obliged to stall in the old sheep sheds, which were condemned 

 two years ago as not being fit for sheep, and in three tents in which 

 temporary stalls were built during the opening days of the fair. AH 

 Iowa should be proud of the distinguished position the Iowa Sta^te 



