TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 093 



people allowed inside the ring (with the exception of the official judges) 

 were compelled to remain in this aisle, giving the spectators in the galler- 

 ies an uninterrupted view of every head of stock. The policy should be 

 continued. The spectators are entitled to see and the favored visitors in 

 the ring can see just as well and maintain better order. 



Without doubt Iowa has never held a state fair in which greater in- 

 terest was manifested in the dairy cattle exhibits. Iowa already ranks 

 second among the dairying states of the nation, but this splendid position 

 has been achieved through the efforts of the average farmer and the aver- 

 age cow. How the millions earned from dairying could be increased by 

 securing the best dairy cattle is being borne in on thousands of farmers. 

 For practically the first time Guernseys and Holsteins were exhibited at 

 Des Moines in large numbers. Wisconsin breeders were prominent, send- 

 ing representatives of some of the finest herds ever seen in Iowa. Iowa 

 is just entering a new dairying era which will make its farmers richer 

 than ever before. If the state fair had no other result than to awaken 

 interest in scientific dairying it would have been worthy every dollar it 

 cost. 



The Midway this year did not contain an objectionable show. Some 

 of the performances were hardly worth the price of admission, but there 

 was nothing to corrupt the morals of the people. The time was, and not 

 so very many years ago, when Oriental dancing girls were allowed to dis- 

 port themselves with little or no censorship. Iowa has always been free 

 from many of the most objectionable shows and of recent years every 

 sideshow attraction is inspected by the fair officials before it is allowed 

 to exhibit, the result being that the era of clean shows has dawned, never 

 to darken. Immense injury can be done by suggestive postures and 

 words and Iowa cannot afford, in the interests of so-called amusement, 

 ever to allow a show which father and son, mother and daughter, cannot 

 see together without the slightest blush or regret. 



A most interesting experiment was tried out in the agricultural de- 

 partment last week under Director Curtin, it being the installation of a 

 strictly educational farm crop exhibit. A specialty was made of alfalfa 

 and hundreds of samples of the various cuttings had been collected from 

 all over the state. No feature of the fair attracted more attention than 

 this, and there is no doubt but what the inspection of those alfalfa sam- 

 ples will result in largely increasing the area of alfalfa in Iowa during 

 the next few years. The data given on placard in connection with this 

 educational exhibit were reduced to their simplest terms so that men, 

 without effort, could carry away the fundamental principles of alfaljfa 

 growing. This same plan carried out in relation to other crops, both grain 

 and forage, proved to be even more successful by way of interesting fair 

 visitors than was anticipated. It is doubtful if any single feature of the 

 fair could compare with this one in its direct educational value, and the 

 plan now that it has proven successful could advantageously be enlarged 

 upon in many departments. . 



