10 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



treasurer, who in turn delivers it to the proper institute officer. Addi- 

 tional reports are sent in to this office, but as the law is not mandatory 

 in this respect, they are often not sent in at all or come in too late to 

 be of any special benefit. The law, if changed, should read so that the 

 reports must be filed at some date, say late in the spring, after the in- 

 stitutes have been held. They could then be compiled, published in bul- 

 letin form, and ready for distribution before the institute season again 

 opened in the fall. This change would not add much, if any, work to the 

 duties of the reporting officer, and, if anything, would facilitate his work 

 by having the blanks all prepared and sent out by the department, the 

 same as is now done with the county and district fair associations. The 

 institutes are no small factor in the agricultural education of the people, 

 and a vast amount of useful information hag been imparted through 

 them. I believe the $75.00 now allotted to each county is too small and 

 should be increased by the next general assembly to at least $100.00. 



COUNTY AND DISTRICT FAIR REPORT FOR 1906. 



The county and district fair associations throughout the State were 

 generally more successful than for a number of seasons past. Greater 

 interest was taken in the exhibits and a larger attendance was reported. 

 While the exact data was not received as to the attendance, the financial 

 reports would indicate that it was over one half million. 



Eighty-four fairs reported and received the State aid. One more 

 society reported, but owing to some discrepancy in the papers the State 

 Auditor has not yet paid the State aid. The financial report of one other 

 society had to be sent back for correcting and has not been returned, so 

 that only eighty-three reports are shown on the financial statement to 

 date. 



The total receipts from all sources amount to $316,565 — an increase 

 of about $60,000 over the receipts of the eighty societies reporting in 

 1905. The average receipts were about $3,800; $16,393 was received from 

 the State, or an average of $197.50 for each fair. The total value of 

 the fair grounds and improvements is shown to be $489,702, or an aver- 

 age of $5,950 for the eighty-three societies. The eighty-three county 

 and district fairs paid out in premiums $58,397, or an average of $700 

 each; this shows only a small increase over 1905. The largest amount 

 paid out in premiums by any one society was $1,616.50; the smallest being 

 $281. Ten of the fairs reporting report receipts of $6,000 or over; fifty- 

 five societies report an indebtedness of $99,707, or an average of $1,817. 

 Sixty-three societies report money on hand to the amount of $18,017, or 

 an average of $2G6. There appears to be a greater interest manifested 

 in the county and district fairs of the State, and we predict that with 

 ordinary circumstances the fairs will be even more successful in the 

 next few years. 



