348 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Many farmers have their applications in for a few of these birds in 

 order to raise them on their own farms as insect destroyers. Fifteen 

 hundred young birds have been raised this summer from this colony, 

 and these will be distributed this fall over the state where there are 

 brush and timber for their protection. As they multiply there will 

 be seasons that the hunters will be permitted to slaughter them un- 

 molested. Large cement basins, with running water, are built in the 

 deep gulches and ravines to provide the water fowls with congenial 

 surroundings. 



THE BEEF CATTLE SHOW. 



Beef cattle have been bringing high prices the last year. Many 

 breeders had sold so low that they had not enough young stuff on hand 

 to make a full show herd, and consequently stayed at home. Hot 

 weather has made it bad to fit cattle, and an unusually backward, wet 

 spring made a very busy set of farmers during the early summer. Con- 

 sequently, there were many who did not show. Quality of exhibits was 

 good in most cases. 



Aberdeen-Angus put up the best show they have ever had. Classes 

 ranged from ten to twenty entries each. Quality and fitting were 

 superb. The herds of McHenry, Battles, Binnie, Miller and Escher 

 vied for chief honors. 



Herefords were not so numerous as usually. Des Moines generally 

 gathers a goodly number of white faces in her arena, but not so this 

 year. Cudahy's aged bull, Fairfax 16th, which went around the circuit 

 undefeated last year, was set down for grand champion, and that honor 

 was allotted to the extremely smooth Harris bull, Repeater 7th. This 

 calf was sired by Repeater of show-yard fame several years back. He 

 was first as senior yearling and junior champion. 



Galloways were not so numerous as usual, either. Straub's strong 

 herd from Nebraska was detained at home as a result of the season's 

 tornado and drouth. Charles Escher judged the small number present 

 in his customary capable manner. 



Short-horns started extremely weak in aged classes, but there were 

 large classes of younger animals and much excellent quality displayed. 

 Sultan Mina was first in a class of three aged bulls and was later made 

 grand champion. Saunders won first in senior calves on a double-bred 

 Cumberland's Last. This chap was a roan of September birth and 

 weighed 1,050 pounds. His immense scale, coupled with his goodness 

 all over, made him an outstanding winner. He was later made junior 

 champion and Iowa grand champion. 



Female classes were larger than most bull classes. Harding and 

 Saunders vied for chief honors here, and the former succeeded in get- 

 ting the championship. Most breeders and feeders prefer the roan 

 color. It is interesting to note the number of animals of each color in 

 a large show such as Des Moines. For instance, in the majority of 

 classes there were more roans than all the other colors put together. 

 White has of recent years had the ban lifted from it in Short-horn 

 circles, and some of the best winners are of this color. In fact, Hard- 

 ing's Village Flower, which won the grand championship after win- 

 ning in the junior yearling class, was snow white. 



