346 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



REST FOR THE WEARY. 



There have been great changes in the Iowa grounds in making the parked 

 spots more attractive and pleasant for visitors. The new open court in 

 front of the administration building deserves special mention. This is a 

 large, shaded picnic or rest ground, amply provided with seats, where 

 splendid concerts are given at stated hours throughout the day, just for 

 the entertainment of the hundreds of persons who have stopped to rest, 

 on comfortable seats, or on the grass, as thousands prefer as the quickest 

 and easiest way to get rid of "that tired feeling," which most fair visitors 

 experience after a few hours' travel over the fair grounds. 



Exhibitors are taking a little more space in some departments, with a 

 view to making a more attractive display, giving more demonstration room 

 and furnishing more rest space for visitors. The encouragement to more 

 attractive display has been enhanced by lengthening the exhibition period 

 to eight days. This fair now commences with a complete program for 

 Friday and Saturday instead of making these preparation days, as formerly. 

 The judging starts in all departments, and a full and complete program is 

 carried out. The fair visitor who arrives on the first or second day will be 

 better entertained and have a better opportunity to see than if he had de- 

 layed until the crowd and jam of travel to the fair had commenced. These 

 beginning days are sure to grow in popularity with the people, who are 

 anxious to see the fair untrammeled by such obstacles as are met with 

 where great crowds of people are congregated. 



INDIVIDUAL FARM EXIIIDITS. 



One of the improvements made this year, and which is along the line 

 of educational state fair progress, is the introduction of the individual 

 farm collective exhibit. This classification takes the place of the county 

 collective exhibit, a common feature of displa'y with many state fairs, but 

 one which carries no special educational influence with it. The collective 

 exhibit is purely an exhibition of farm products, demonstrating the skill of 

 the exhibitor or exhibitors. A few persons in each county have become 

 expert exhibitors in this kind of a contest, and the display does not demon- 

 strate any local condition of superiority more than that of exhibition 

 skill. The individual farm exhibit shows to the fair visitor what is pos- 

 sible to produce on the farm by man's own efforts, and stimulates the am- 

 bition to try to measure up to the particular farm or man whose basis 

 of production is the exhibit under inspection. The farm name is also an 

 inspiration for the sight-seer to go home and name his farm and build his 

 own monument by his farm's individual products and reputation. 



There were nineteen individual farm collective exhibits this year. These 

 nineteen exhibits were each occupying about eight by twelve feet shelf and 

 wall space, making a nicely proportioned display. As variety and deco- 

 rative feature of exhibits counted in the scoring, as well as quality of prod- 

 ucts, there was a neatness and beauty of arrangement in these displays 

 that attracted attention and the favorable comment of sight-seers. The 

 feature of general interest was the fact that this stuff had been produced 

 on one farm, and the garden truck patch, grain field, meadow and orchard 

 each contri])uted its share. 



