SEVENTEENTH ANNl^AL YEAR BOOK — PART IV 287 



work" for a few days and come to Des Moines to enjoy themselves 

 and to see the fruits of their labor displayed, so that all the world 

 might realize and marvel at the agicultural supremacy of the Hawk- 

 eye state. 



Never were weather conditions so good for any state fair as they 

 were for the 1916 Iowa State Fair. Up to the time this is written 

 (Wednesday night) not more than the merest trace of rain had fallen 

 since the fair officially opened the Friday preceding. Bright skies 

 and low temperature prevailed, there being none of the physical dis- 

 comfort attendant upon a high temperature which usually prevails 

 during the Iowa fair. With the thermometer registering in the seven- 

 ties and seldom getting above the 80-degree mark, the thousands 

 upon thousands of visitors who came to Des Moines for the week were 

 enabled to attend the fair in the greatest comfort. The weather con- 

 ditions were also ideal for the aviation feats which have come to be 

 such a popular number on the state fair programs. Last year Art 

 Smith, the intrepid young aviator, was the hero of the occasion. This 

 year his place was well taken by Ruth Law, a young and pretty 

 aviatrix, who looped the loop, both by day and by night, with the ut- 

 most fearlessness, and who made her flights exactly at the time an- 

 nounced, an innovation welcomed by all the fair attendants. 



There never has been a finer representation of pure-bred live stock 

 at the Hawkeye fair than was found in the stalls, pens and paddocks 

 this year. In horses, cattle, sheep and swine the showing was simply 

 superb and the interest displayed by the visitors, as indicated by the 

 attendance at the ringside, showed most plainly that live stock must 

 be considered Iowa's basic industry. Entries were so numerous, par- 

 ticularly in the cattle classes, that temporary structures were utilized 

 for stabling purposes, and this crowded condition should be remedied 

 before the gates for another fair open. In the horse division interest 

 is maintained at a high pitch, and an especial feature of this depart- 

 ment was the large number of entries of American-bred animals. In 

 certain classes there were as many as thirty or even forty entries and 

 every individual of American breeding. Ringside comment indicated 

 that the quality of the entries had not fallen off in the least because 

 of the stoppage of importation. This means that American breeders 

 are rapidly getting a footing and they give every promise of being able 

 to produce as good drafters as ever have crossed the water. There 

 never has been a time when men displayed firmer faith in the future 

 of the draft horse business, claiming as they do that the tractor will 

 eliminate the nondescript type and that there will always be an im- 

 portant place for a horse of good scale with enough quality to wear 

 well. It is worthy of note that the exhibitors generally worked har- 

 moniously with the authorities this year to prevent the spread of 

 disease. Every hog entry, with the single exception of one individual, 

 had been treated with serum before being shipped, and, of course, the 

 individual referred to was treated by the authorities before taken 

 upon the grounds. This means that hogs will go back home from the 

 Iowa State Fair in a healthy condition with no danger whatever of 



