148 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The St. Paul Farmer says: 



"The great fairs held in previous years have led Iowa farmers to ex- 

 pect great things of the fair, in which expectations they have never been 

 disappointed. Iowa is pre-eminently a stock growing section. Iowa 

 farmers for many years have believed in diversified farming, and diver- 

 sified farming in turn means live stock farming. In meat production 

 Iowa has been well along towards the top of the list for many years, 

 und to this fact she owes her increasing soil and increasing bank ac- 

 counts. To supply the needs of the Iowa farmers in improving their 

 Mocks and herds there are probably more breeders of pure bred stock in 

 lonm today tJtmi in any other one state in the country. The live stock 

 show at the Iowa State Fair has accordingly grown to be one of the 

 most important live stock shows of every season. Nearly all the great 

 breeders of the country take their exhibits to the Iowa State Fair, the 

 first important fair in the fall circuit, and these foreign exhibits, aug- 

 mented by Iowa exhibits, make up a live stock show, which in point of 

 numbers and excellence is excelled by only the International show." 



A stronger endorsement of the worth of the state fair in general, and 

 of the last state fair in particular, could not be given than the comments 

 just read from the pens of those so closely in touch with agricultural con- 

 ditions and needs. 



Never has a better balanced exhibit in all departments of the fair 

 been on exhibition. There were 1,488 exhibitors in the thirteen depart- 

 ments, an increase of one hundred over 1908. The number of entries was 

 14,748, against 13,081 in 1908. The number of exhibitors and entries in 

 the various departments follow: 



1909. 1908. 



No. of No. of No. of No of 



exhibitors entries exhibitors entries. 



Horses 96 1,589 88 1.157 



Cattle 82 1,210 82 1.085 



Swine 187 2,139 224 2,505 



Sheep 30 652 L'C 619 



Poultry 79 1,539 ti7 776 



Agricultural products ... 131 1,077 107 884 



Farm implmts and mchy. 340 319 



Pantry and apiary.. 112 1,235 91 1,351 



Dairy 125 125 115 115 



Horticulture 27 1,157 28 1,046 



Floriculture 13 217 19 207 



Fine arts 218 3,277 225 3,336 



Educational 48 531 



1,488 14,748 1,391 13,081 



It is with great pride that we can refer to the magnificent exhibit of 

 horses. Never in the history of any show has such a great number or 

 quality of horses been entered and shown. The exhibit of horses was one- 

 third larger than that at the great International Live Stock Show held 

 in Chicago last week. While there was a slight falling off in the number 



