136 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



were so arranged and equipped that the work of putting on the contest 

 and judging the babies was greatly facilitated. 



The exhibits staged in the Women and Children's Building were all 

 new features for the fair this year and they proved to be of interest to 

 the public and were also of an educational nature. The model school 

 room, which was properly lighted and ventilated was furnished with all 

 the latest and most modern school equipment and offered many valuable 

 suggestions in construction and furnishings. The manual training de- 

 partment offered valuable suggestions for instruction and equipment of 

 this department for public schools. 



The domestic science department, which was under the direction of the 

 extension department at Ames, afforded excellent programs each day, 

 consisting of lectures and demonstrations on the subject of domestic 

 science. 



The art exhibit was hung in the large basement room and was pro- 

 nounced by artists present to be a revelation in the art exhibition at the 

 Iowa State Fair. The exhibit consisted of oil paintings by leading Iowa 

 artists and a loan exhibit from the Chicago Society of Artists, valued at 

 $25,000. The loan exhibit was made up of some excellent works of art 

 and afforded an opportunity to compare the work of Iowa artists with 

 some of the best work in the middle west. 



The public health exhibit put on by the State Board of Health con- 

 sisted of charts, mechanical devices and models, which suggested a more 

 rational hygiene and diet, sanitary arrangements for the farm home, and 

 discouraged the self-drugging habit. 



In addition to this the public health department distributed a great 

 deal of literature on public health subjects and also provided a number 

 of speakers for the daily programs in the large auditorium. 



Tbe child welfare exhibit, which was put on by the University of 

 Iowa, consisted principally of charts and the necessary equipment for 

 taking care of small children. The charts offered many valuable sug- 

 gestions to mothers in the way of instructing them as to the proper 

 clothing, diet and sleeping quarters for the baby. 



Another much appreciated feature of the building was the day nursery 

 and play ground. Here children from six months to ten years of age 

 could be left in the care of trained nurses for a nominal fee, and insured 

 mothers that their children would be given proper care and attention. 

 Children between the ages of six months to five years were taken care 

 of in the two rooms constituting the nursery and children between the 

 ages of five and ten years were cared for in a large play room and play 

 grounds, which was fully equipped with swings, slides, teeters, etc. 



A new feature added this year was an exhibit of boys' and girls' club 

 work, put on under the direction of E. C. Bishop of Ames, who is in 

 charge of this club work in the state of Iowa for the United States govern- 

 ment. This exhibit was housed in the old rest cottage, which was moved 

 to a location near the college building. 



The exhibit consisted of the various lines of work which these boys 

 and girls' clubs have undertaken and completely filled three wings of 

 the building. 



