454 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



be pol'ce and hes'iiital accommodaticns and quarters for superintendents 

 and assistants, together wi'h ample stcrTge rooms for forage and for the 

 deposit of packing cases, also rooms for lunch counters, rest rooms, and 

 a place for the power plant. If grounds are attached the outdoor space 

 should he sufficient for demonstration plats, samples of school gardens, 

 an arhoretum, flower gardens, grass plats, small orchard, shrubbery 

 clumps, samples of properly constructed roads, walks, fences and arbors, 

 with such additions as the importance of the community and its degree 

 of prosperity make it practicable to own and utilize. 



From two to five aces are ample for a county fair to use in its exhibi- 

 tions. More than this is usually unutilized waste, and is generally un- 

 kempt in appearance and an injury to the fair instead of a benefit. Sub- 

 stantial buiMings well arranged and small grounds planted with interest- 

 ing material and neatly kept are the ideal. 



By restricting the area the fair can be held in the edge of a town and 

 be easily reached on foot. By having it thus accessible and beautified 

 as a park, it will soon become a public resort for the citizens, and by 

 having the buildings adapted to use for lectures, shows, theatrical per- 

 formances, and other purposes, and capable of be'ng heated in the win- 

 ter and thrown open in the summer, the chief difficulty in the way of 

 making the enterprise financially successful will be met. Although un- 

 fa,vorable weather may interfere witli a full attendance, yet it will not 

 wholly prevent a reasonable number of the citizens of the town from 

 coming out. The fact that the grounds are near by and that the build- 

 ings can be heated in the winter and be lighted at night, making them 

 available for meetings, midwinter fairs, and similar uses, enables the 

 management to secure from rentals sufficient income to materially aid in 

 maintaining and extending the work of the association. Some of the 

 rooms could be fitted up and rented permanently for offices or for busi- 

 ness purposes, the occupants not to be disturbed when the fair is held. 



If the buildings are to be utilized in the wintertime they must be 

 well constructed and be kept neat and clean. If they are archic^turally 

 attractive and conven'ent in arrangement there will be little dificulty 

 in a portion of them being remunerative the year round, instead of a 

 constant expense. In some instances it would be possible to keep open 

 an agricultural museum, a library of reference, exhibit of samples of 

 agricultural implements, besides accommodating the office of the county 

 secretary. The county fa'r buildings would thus soon become a recog- 

 nized business center where farmers and others who come to town to 

 make purchases could meet appointments and where women could find 

 a comfortable place to rest. 



The lo-^ation of the grounds and the arrangement and equipment of 

 the buildings are therefore most important matters if the fair is to be 

 a financial and educational success and be serviceable to the community 

 during the entire year. 



CUSTODIAN. 



A custodian should be on the grounds continually throughout the year 

 to see that nothing is molested, and that the buildings are ready for 



