FIFTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 285 



On the other hand, no stigma of disgrace attaches to the losing of first 

 place for Kentucky's Best and he had to yield the pride of place simply 

 to an older and more seasoned, and more brilliant performer. Hook showed 

 him with all the skill of generalship of which he is a pastmaster, and 

 there were undoubtedly moments when the beautiful black appeared to 

 be threatening his chestnut rival dangerously. But in the final summing 

 up the consensus of opinion was unanimous for Astral King and he was 

 entitled to wear the blue ribbon. 



TWENTIETH CENTURY FARMER, OMAHA, NEB. 



The Iowa State fair has again scored a record-breaking exhibition 

 and display of all that contributes toward making a great agricultural 

 and live stock show. Iowa is distinctly at the top in state fair and 

 live stock exhibitions. Its resources within itself are a factor that 

 cannot be easily overcome by any division of the United States. Iowa 

 is great in its herds of pure-bred horses, cattle and hogs. It is not 

 only great in numbers, but it has immense capital employed in the 

 operation of producing the best that human ingenuity, skill and breed- 

 ing intelligence can suggest. 



Iowa's State fair has become a national exhibition, where large 

 numbers of the high class show animals of America congregate Owners 

 of the champions and grand champions of the live stock shows of the 

 country believe that nowhere can they be afforded greater honors than 

 in occupying a place in the show ring of the Iowa State fair. 



It is not in any spirit of placing one of our great live stock shows 

 above another that we say that noted expert authorities on live stock 

 and live stock shows have gone on record as pronouncing this the 

 greatest live stock show in horses and cattle that has ever been held 

 in the United States. When this has been established the way is clear 

 to make it world-wide, since the International at Chicago has been 

 freely pronounced by the best of expert judges of Europe to surpass 

 any held in that far-famed land of pure-breds. 



INCREASE IN LIVE STOCK EXHIBITS. 



This was not a two-breed exhibition of live stock. All breeds ot 

 every kind of stock — horses, cattle, hogs and sheep — were fully rep- 

 resented, and the very closest competition prevailed throughout the 

 classifications in each show. The comparison with last year shows a 

 remarkable increase, which indicates the position this fair holds in 

 the estimation of exhibitors. In 1913 there were shown 993 horses, this 

 year 1,142; cattle in 1913, 945; this year, 1,188; hogs in 1913, 1,000; 

 this year, 2,500 ;sheep in 1913, 750; this year, 800. These figures 

 indicate the growing popularity of the Iowa State fair among the high 

 class outside breeders, who are anxious to get into the tide of ex- 

 hibition excellence. 



Iowa is fortunate in having the natural layout in ground suitable 

 for every feature of exhibition. It has been taken up by competent 

 engineering talent and planned into a most beautiful and fitting design 



