TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 575 



had looked long and carefully at the pictures and specimens of Canada 

 thistle, quack grass, sorrel, wild carrot, and many other weeds of which 

 our ireaders are continually sending us samples for identification. Many 

 a farmer could have spent half an hour to advantage here looking over 

 carefully the samples of various weeds, and asking the attendant ques- 

 tions as to the best method of eradication. 



The college poultry exhibit was in the poultry building. This was un- 

 usually interesting and valuable. Charts gave •suggestions on the many 

 things of interest to poultry breeders, such as the best way of handling 

 eggs for market, how to prevent white diarrhoea in young chicks, etc. 

 There were several types of m.odel poultry houses. An interesting fea- 

 ture was the exhibit of eggs with the yolks colored in layers of red and 

 yellow, the college colors. This was done by feeding the hens a red dye. 

 It seems that in the yolk of an egg are alternate laj^ers of fatty material 

 and material without fat. The dye affects the fat and changes it to a red 

 color. 



As usual, there was a soil map of Iowa, showing the distribution of the 

 Wisconsin glaciation, the Iowa glaciation, the Mississippi loess, the Mis- 

 souiri loess and the southern Iowa loess. The comparison between the 

 black soil of the Wisconsin glaciation in the northern part of the state 

 with the lighter colored and more easily worked loess soils in the western 

 part of the state was striking. Pasteboard dots on the map illustrated 

 where alfalfa had succeeded, partially succeeded, or failed. It was inter- 

 esting to notice that alfalfa has been grown most extensively and suc- 

 cessfully as yet in the western part of the state on the loess soils. Whether 

 it is because this type of soil is particularly adapted to alfalfa or that the 

 farmers in the western part of the state have had more experience with 

 alfalfa and learned more from Nebraska farmers concerning the methods 

 necessary for successful culture, we can not say. 



The game exhibit this year was housed under a big tent, and was in a 

 shape which rendered the pheasants and other wild fowl much more 

 easily inspected. The brilliantly colored, ring-necked and silver-plumed 

 pheasants attracted much attention, especially from the children. 



The exposition building exhibit changes but little from year to year. 

 Nevertheless there is always much of interest here. Modern house- 

 furnishings always attract attention. Tables, chairs, carpets, stoves, 

 pianos, sewing machines, etc., etc., will always hold the attention of the 

 housekeeper. In the south end of the exposition building was an exhibit 

 by the blind. The ability which was shown in making quilts, brushes, 

 clothing, etc., was truly wonderful. The raised point writing used by 



