296 IOWA DEiPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



top horse was shown by Champlin of Iowa and is reputed to have been 

 the highest priced colt to leave Belgium this year. Eggert's colt stood 

 second. It was scarcely so clean cut in the head and neck but a trifle 

 shapelier in the body and croup. Onlookers were about equally divided 

 in their choice between this pair. 



The mare classes included many animals of show yard records on both 

 sides of the ocean. Lefebure came in strong in these classes and cap- 

 tured both championships. Irvine won in the three-year-olds. 



FARMER AND BREEDER, SIOUX CITY, IOWA. 



The attendance at the Iowa state fair this year was considerably below 

 normal. For some reason or other the farmers did not turn out so 

 liberally as usual. Stockmen claimed that the percentage of the atten- 

 dants who came through the barns to examine the live stock was much 

 smaller than it has been in recent years. This may have been due partly 

 to the heavy rains that fell on Monday night, though that rain was by 

 no means general over the state and should not have been a factor of great 

 importance in preventing people at a distance from coming. Early 

 Tuesday morning the weather was still cloudy and probably prevented 

 some from sections close to Des Moines from coming in their automo- 

 biles. After Tuesday noon the weather was fine and the attendance 

 should have been large. 



It is difficult to say why there was such a lack of interest this year. 

 The attractions and exhibits were certainly all that could be expected 

 and the fair management deserves credit for the way in which they 

 handled this big state institution. It is marvelous to contemplate what 

 progress has been made in the past fifty years in building up this great 

 useful state fair, which is truly an educational institution, the value of 

 which it would be impossible to measure in dollars and cents. From year 

 to year the fair has grown in equipment, in interest, and in value to the 

 people. The state has been liberal in making appropriations for building 

 up this practical farmers' school. Nearly all important buildings are of 

 permanent type and well suited for the purpose for which they were 

 built. They could probably not be improved upon. There is only one 

 thing to regret in connection with this excellent institution and that is 

 the comparatively small attendance of farmers from the remoter parts 

 of the state. When the fair was established it was undoubtedly thought 

 that it would serve all farmers of the state equally well and theoretically 

 it does, but practically only a few scattered farmers here and there from 

 the four corners of the state find themselves in position to attend. There 

 are many farmers in Iowa who have never attended their state fair and 

 always will be. It is not only the cost of getting to the fair that pre- 

 vents these people from the remoter parts of the state from attending, 

 but many of them are also too busy to be away from home for three or 

 four days at a stretch. It is to be hoped that some way may be found 



