SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 265 



hopeful feeling is entertained as to the attitude of legislators toward 

 this enterprise. 



If entries in the swine department continue to expand — they reached 

 over 3,000 at this fair — it will be necessary to Icnock out the useless 

 amphitheatre seats in the show building, and put in pens. It was a 

 busy place the week long, with exhibits of outstanding character. 

 Sheep mustered 700 entries, which is 100 more than last year, and in 

 the fine comfortable exhibition building the shepherds passed a con- 

 tented week. The word contented is deliberately chosen. Sales of sheep 

 probably exceeded in volume any ever made at this fair and full order 

 books conduce to a content that results from no other cause. 



The horse section still retains its grip. Draft horses lacked some of 

 the stables of the big importers who aforetime contributed liberally to 

 the displays, but Iowa breeders largely filled the gaps thus made, par- 

 ticularly in the younger classes. Clearly of the sensational character 

 Avere some of the rings filled almost exclusively from the breeding farms 

 of the state. Ponies continue in large display, and saddle horses were 

 attractive, but a marked deficiency was noted among the harness horses. 

 The night shows in the coliseum were quite meager as to these classes, 

 for which effect several causes were known^. As these entries dwindle 

 in numbers public policy and the ends of the fair managers will be best 

 served if additional encouragement is given the ponies and the saddle 

 horses. 



Special exhibits of the J. Crouch & Son six-horse team of Percherons 

 and the Anheuser-Busch six of Shetland Ponies afforded a highly in- 

 teresting contrast in equine types. 



The cattle in most respects made memorable exhibits. Dairy breeds 

 were particularly strong with a few exceptions, and on the beef cattle 

 side of the arena sensations were so frequent as to set a standard which 

 will be difficult of future elevation. Almost all displays were made to 

 crowded houses. That is to say, at all times of the day and on almost 

 all days, the seats in the coliseum were filled by farm folk eagerly in- 

 tent on the work of the judges, their interest directed intelligently by 

 a carefully-compiled catalog of cattle and horse entries. It was a busy 

 week for exhibitors and herdsmen, and the judges found plenty of 

 problems the week long. 



The call for improved live stock is daily becoming more insistent 

 and the agricultural vocations are attracting to themselves some of 

 the strongest minds of the country. Noteworthy it is then that at the 

 opposite range of human achievement, among the insane, deaf, blind 

 and other defective dependents, interest in high-class stock is acting 

 as a corrective toward a normal human status. The state institutions 

 of Iowa furnished an exhibit of fully developed draft horses, carefully 

 handled dairy cattle, well bred poultry and attractively exhibited small 

 animals that commanded the attention of nearly every visitor. Nine 

 institutions participated in the exhibit which was housed in a separate 

 tent. The opportunities for further development of this idea are un- 

 limited, and it is to be hoped that such exhibits will stimulate an in- 

 terest and spirit of loyalty among the state's charges that will not 

 only bear economic fruit, but make life more enjoyable for its un- 

 fortunates. 



