36 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



You may wonder what brouRlit about the great increase in 

 attendance this year. Was it the soldiers encamped upon our 

 grounds? That was one factor but the people of Iowa- are eom- 

 mencing to realize not only the benefits to be derived from at- 

 tending the fair but they are becoming interested in showing the 

 resources of this gTcat state. TJie management is continually en- 

 couraging all avenues of education among the young men and 

 women of the state. The boys' and girls' clubs, domestic science, 

 canning clubs, boys' farm work, spelling contests and numerous 

 other club contests which bring the boys and girls from the farm 

 for a school of instruction all help to keep ever in their minds 

 a desire to attend the fair. 



The coming year should be more interesting to the average 

 lowan than any year in the past. Right now, from an agricul- 

 tural standpoint, Iowa occupies a position of pre-eminent im- 

 portance, for the whole world is looking to these great agricul- 

 tural states to produce more of the necessaries of life to carry on 

 this great struggle for democracy. 



I am proud of Iowa, not only for what ahe is doing to help 

 feed the world, but also because whenever Uncle Sam ealls on 

 her to buy Liberty Bonds, to help the Red Cross, 'Or subscribe 

 to the Y. M. C. A. fund, the people are always there with the 

 goods. Iowa as a whole this year, had a magnificent crop and 

 the prices received for these products are simply wonderful. 

 It is true our corn crop did not nature as we would like to have 

 had it, but the yield was great and after deducting the soft corn 

 and feeding it to our hos's and cattle the balance of marketable 

 corn left will at the market prices far exceed per acre what the 

 average farmer ever dreamed of. 



You talk about the high price of Iowa land. In my opinion 

 this same land that is now selling for from $200 to $300 per acre 

 will be selling within the next ten years for from $300 to $500 

 per acre. You may wonder v/hy I make this prediction. In 

 the first place there is no state in the Union that has as rich soil 

 and no state whose climatic conditions are more nearly ideal for 

 a good .crop as in this great State of Iowa. Iowa has never had 

 a total crop failure. Iowa has always something to sell and most 

 of the time more than an average crop. Agi'iculture today is the 

 slogan of the world, and Iowa will do more than any other state 

 in this T'nion to make that slogan good. America will win this 



