TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 593 



two associations produced an average of only 176 pounds of butter a year 

 at a feed cost of $30 per head. In other words, these cows showed a net 

 profit of $20 as compared with $52 for the 200 best cows. These facts 

 show in a general way what the test associations are doing. They are 

 discovering the poor cows, and as a result the farmers are rapidly im- 

 proving their herds by selling the poor individuals and putting better 

 ones in their places. 



Twentieth Century Farmer, Omaha, Nebr. 



Iowa's Annual Live Stock Show and Agricultural exposition was held 

 last week on the Iowa State Fair grounds at Des Moines. This ex- 

 ploitation of the skill and ingenuity of man in the promotion of excellen- 

 cies in animal creation, in the demonstration of possibilities in soil pro- 

 ducton and in the bringing to the attention of humanity in mechanical 

 arts the wondrous faculty of inventive genius combine in completing one of 

 the greatest educational efforts that has ever been assembled under the 

 management of state fair enterprise. The Iowa State Fair has grown 

 within the last few years into an immense aggregation of exhibition inter- 

 ests; its improvement and development of grounds along lines of exposi- 

 tion convenience, advantage and permanency are the wonder and admira- 

 tion of its oldest patrons and most loyal supporters. 



PLACE FOR OLD GRAY-HAIRED VETERANS. 



Iowa was fortunate in securing a state fair location so admirably 

 suited by nature for the purposes of building an ideal exposition grounds 

 and equipment for carrying on such an enterprise. The wooded hill 

 lands, besides their use for state fair buildings, dotted here and there over 

 it, has a most beautiful location designated "Iowa Grand Army Encamp- 

 ment." This tract is occupied each annual fair by the members of the 

 Grand Army posts of the state and visiting comrades from all parts of 

 the country. Thousands of these old gray-haired veterans congregate 

 here for their annual visit, speech-making and picnic. This is one of 

 the most impressive gatherings representing patriotic loyalty and sym- 

 pathy for American institutions that one will ever have an opportunity 

 to enjoy. 



A division of the timber section of the hill land is surveyed into lots, 

 blocks, streets and alleys and rented to persons from a distance who wish 

 to bring their families to the fair, camp and stay for a pleasant outing 

 during the week. A nominal charge is made, tents erected, numbered, 

 etc., and soon the beautiful white city springs into existence and a most 

 pleasant and profitable season is enjoyed by the farmer and his family. 

 Hundreds of families came from 50 to 150 miles this year in their autos 

 and established residence on the tented hill, under the shade of the tow- 

 ering oaks and elms. 

 38 



