TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VI 265 



Hoping future results will warrant the efforts put forth by all con- 

 cerned, I beg to renaain, 



Sincerely yours, 



A. V. STORM, Supt. Departmenv. 



Mr. Curtiss presented and read the report of the Horse depart- 

 ment for the past year and recommendations for revision of 

 premium list for the coming year. On motion the report was 

 ordered placed on file and recommendations for revision of premium 

 list as offered adopted. 



REPORT OF HORSE DEPARTMENT. 

 C. F. CTJBTISS, 8UPEBINTENDENT. 



The horse department represents one of the great agricultural interests 

 of the middle west. For years wise people have written and spoken 

 learnedly about the passing of the horse. A metropolitan daily paper only 

 recently made the prediction that in the near future horses would be 

 found only in museums as extinct animals. Twenty years ago it was pre- 

 dicted with utmost confidence that the electric street car would put the 

 horse out of business. 



Automobiles, bicycles, motor trucks and flying machines may come and 

 go, but the demand for horses is constant and ever present. 



These modern means of transportation seem to merely stimulate the 

 demand for good horses. There is every indication that the raising of 

 good horses will constitute a profitable part of agriculture for many 

 years to come. 



When the writer took charge of the horse department of the Iowa State 

 Fair four years ago changes were made in the premium list with a view 

 to strengthening the exhibit made by the farmers and breeders instead of 

 making the exhibit chiefly a show by importers as it has been in many 

 state fairs. These changes proved popular at once and resulted in about 

 fifty per cent increase of entries. Some minor changes along the same 

 lines have since been made with gratifying results. The number of horses 

 entered at the Iowa State Fair last year reached nearly 950, setting a new 

 record for all state fairs and exhibitions of this class. A larger percent- 

 age of these entries come from the breeders of this state than can be seen 

 from the local breeders at any other state fair. This support should be 

 encouraged to the fullest extent. Premium ribbons are harder to win on 

 horses at Des Moines and mean more than at any other state fair in 

 America. 



The Iowa fair was the first to offer a classification for American carri- 

 age horses. A similar classification has since been formulated by the co- 

 operation of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry and adopted by 

 sixteen state fairs and expositions. As a result of this movement, the 

 foreign coach breeds, with one exception, have almost entirely disappeared 

 from the American show ring. 



