27 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The poultry department at Ames had an attractive educational exhibit 

 in charge of competent instructors who explained the exhibit to thousands 

 of interested poultrymen. 



If there was an exhibit that was not up to standard it was found in 

 the agricultural division. 



The extreme drouth during the preceding three months made it rather 

 difficult to find show stuff for this department. Early in the season we 

 had the promise of some 25 or 30 individual farm exhibits, which would 

 have made a very good show, but the dry weather caused them to drop 

 out one at a time until but sixteen actually put on their exhibits. Among 

 them were some very creditable exhibits which partially made up for 

 the deficiency in number. 



In the horticultural end of the building everyone was rejoicing over the 

 excellent showing of Iowa's fruit. Something over 5,000 plates were on 

 exhibition and this packed that end of the building and one half of the 

 balcony floor. While it was a little early in the season for showing some 

 varieties of apples, the exhibit indicated that Iowa was in the fruit grow- 

 ing district and that she would produce a good crop of excellent quality 

 this year. 



The machinery exhibitors were given a treat this year in being able 

 to occupy the new machinery building, which was completed just a few 

 days prior to the fair at a cost of $75,000 — $65,000 from state appropria- 

 tion and $10,000' from fair receipts. The building occupies a space 270x520 

 feet and has 00,000 square feet of exhibit space over and above the aisles. 

 This affords an ideal hall for the exhibition of farm machinery as at- 

 tested by 93 exhibitors who signed the following statement and presented 

 it to the Superintendent of the Machinery Department: 



"After so many years of effort to obtain suitable quarters for exhibits 

 in machinery and vehicles, we, the representatives of the manufacturers 

 and Jobbers of farm machinery, vehicles, and accessory lines; also we of 

 the Iowa Implement Dealers' Association, desire to congratulate and ex- 

 press our appreciation to the State Fair Management, and commend the 

 action of the 34t'h General Assembly in appropriating funds for the timely 

 erection of the new Machinery hall, and we desire to commend their 

 action in making this great improvement. Although only partially fin- 

 ished, we already see its value, and in the interest of all concerned we 

 hereby express the hope of an early completion of this substantial and 

 enduring building, so necessary to the success of our great state fair." 



There were 318 machinery exhibitors, 82 occupied space in the new 

 macihinery hall and the halance of the light machinery exhibits werp 

 housed in Power Hail, private buildings and tents. The exhibits of 

 heavy machinery, silos, etc., occupied approximately 20 acres of outside 

 space. 



The attendance of the 1011 Iowa State Fair, according to the count 

 of the ticket auditing department, was 270,082. This was an increase 

 of 39,000, or about seventeen per cent, over last year. The greatest at- 

 tendance for any one day was on Tuesday, when 64,699 people passed 

 through the stiles. 



