SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IV 2 73 



quality which wins, while the admirable senior boar pig from Illinois 

 gained the distinction of junior and reserve champion. The home state 

 herd was stoutly equipped in the aged sow class, gaining chief honors 

 and the final grand championship with lowana Peaceful 2d. 



While not up to the Chester White record show of 1915 in numbers 

 it is safe to say that Des Moines has never before entertained so even 

 and excellent a display of the breed. There were no inferior hogs in 

 evidence. Of the 48 5 head there was scarcely a pig that was not nicely 

 fitted. It is a marked improvement in feet and pasterns which has 

 befen credited to this breed in recent years. Excellent indeed was the 

 underpinning at this show. William A, champion at Hamline in 1915, 

 headed the aged boars and was made grand champion. As a two- 

 year-old he crowds the half-ton mark. Nagle captured both sow 

 championships. The aged sow was own mother to the first-prize 

 senior pig. This three-year-old sow. International by name, raised a 

 February litter but looked none the worse for it. 



With tremendous strides the Hampshire hogs continue to increase 

 in cornbelt show circles and pastures. When so large an exhibit of the 

 breed is seen as was in evidence at Des Moines it seems hard to be- 

 lieve that the first public vendue west of the Mississippi occurred less 

 than five years back. A marked improvement in uniformity, scale and 

 quality has occurred during these few years, marked evidence of 

 which was furnished at Des Moines. Cherokee Pattern, a hog of 

 great scale, was a satisfactory champion, although this was his initial 

 appearance in the ring. He comes of good winning blood. The Mes- 

 senger sow Scottish Girl 4th is a true matron, having raised a full 

 litter of 12 husky spring pigs. She is heavy in pig again. While not 

 the largest she is a true specimen of the type upon which the Hamp- 

 shire men have fixed. 



THE SHEEP SHOW. 



Many evidences indicated that the past year has been a year of 

 prosperity for Iowa sheep breeders. Ring-side talk among the breed- 

 ers has it that this year's show is the best ever held in the state. At 

 past shows were more exhibitors from outside the state who made 

 excellent exhibits of imported and home bred sheep, but this year's dis- 

 play was much more largely composed of sheep bred in Iowa. There 

 were a number of new exhibitors from Iowa this year but two or three 

 of the old exhibitors from outside the state were not present. In 

 num'ber of entries the show outranks its predecessor by a noticeable 

 margin. Demand for rams and breeding stock was excellent and 

 especially for Shropshires, Oxfords and Hampshires. Breeders re- 

 port materially higher prices than last year. Exhibitors at this show 

 represent the states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska and 

 Wyoming. The high prices of wool and record level prices for lamb 

 and mutton have brought Iowa rapidly to the front as a finishing 

 ground for western-raised lambs. With an acute shortage of feeder 

 lambs it looks like a safe prediction that more lambs will be raised 

 on Iowa farms. The sheep breeders of Iowa are improving their flocks, 

 and are well prepared to supply an increasing trade. 



