TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V. 209 



report to the secretary which has already been mentioned. The appear- 

 ance of the grounds would be greatly improved if all the wires could be 

 placed underground. This has been done along the streets of many cities 

 and even on some private grounds and also along lines connecting distant 

 cities. The poles necessary for overhead wires, with their cross arms, 

 the injuries to trees some times caused by wires, and the wires themselves 

 are all detrimental to the appearance of the fair grounds. You have an 

 opportunity to set a good example by putting the wires out of sight. 



The disposal of garbage and sewage is at present unsatisfactory. There 

 should be some method of disposing of the melon rinds and other refuse 

 from the restaurants and dining rooms which would not allow any portion 

 of the grounds to become offensive. At present, refuse is piled in some 

 opening in the woods or some depression in the ground where, subse- 

 quently, the pile must be removed at an additional expense. Possibly that 

 portion of the refuse material, which cannot be burned, would be of some 

 value to neighboring farmers, so that they would be willing to take it 

 either without expense or for a small consideration and thus preserve the 

 grounds from anything unsightly or offensive. We would suggest tl;at 

 the question of disposing of sewage be studied with the assistance of some 

 sanitary engineer of recognized ability. 



We would suggest that tents be prohibited from a definite space along 

 each side of the drives that extend through the forest by establishing 

 some line corresponding to building lines along residence streets. Such 

 lines might be anywhere from fifty to one hundred feet from the edge of 

 the roadway. With the additional land, which you now have, a wider 

 range might occupied by those who camp on the grounds during fair time. 



We desire this letter to be considered as supplementary to a former 

 letter which has already been mentioned. The state fair has been con- 

 ducted in such a way as to be of educational value to the people of the 

 state. Those interested in stock get information which will be of value 

 to them on their farms. Those interested in the raising of corn, alfalfa 

 and other farm crops either get information of value or are stimulated, 

 by what they see, to greater efforts. The exhibits of farm machinery, ce- 

 ment industries, manufactured articles and all the various displays to be 

 found at the fair must be of decided advantage to the people of the state. 

 We hope that the grounds themselves will become an exhibit of equal 

 value on account of their beauty and convenience and an exhibit not 

 confined to the week or ten days of the fair, but extending throughout 

 the year, showing all the various trees and shrubs that are hardy in the 

 state of Iowa and showing, as well, beautiful pictures, by the proper re- 

 lation of open spaces to the various groups of woody growth. As the 

 fair cntinues for only about ten daj'^s, perhaps you would not be justified 

 in having all of the herbaceous plants, as these w^ould call for an expendi- 

 ture which might not add to your receipts at the time of the fair, but, 

 you could, without sacrifice, give the park authorities an opportunity to 

 supplement in this way your own effects in creating and preserving nat- 

 ural beauty. In this way the grounds might continually show, during the 

 growing season, attractive and harmonious effects of flowers. With the 

 14 



