130 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



that bought a season ticket became a member of the fair associa- 

 tion, and the property is consequently public property and every- 

 one is interested. Had it not been so organized I presume it would 

 have gone the way of other county fairs ; but the people got to- 

 gether and took it upon themselves to make it an agricultural fair. 

 They had their annual meeting and elected men that they knew 

 would be for building up a clean fair. It has been three years 

 since that step was taken. Prof. Kennedy judged our stock last 

 year, and he made the statement that it was the best stock show 

 that he had ever judged outside of the State Fair, or the World's 

 Fair. Our admissions increased so that we have been able to 

 increase our premiums. We have been able to draw stock from 

 the surrounding counties. We have had stock in different depart- 

 ments that has been shown at the State Fair, and the people are 

 interested in the fair and they load up their families and come in 

 and support it because it is an agricultural fair. The attractions 

 are a secondary element; the main feature is to educate the people 

 along agriculture and stock improving lines. 



]Mr. Burk : I have also had some experience in county 

 fairs. I live in ^Marshall county, and the southwest part 

 of Marshall county maintained a county fair for many years and 

 always paid money in full. We are so situated that it is impossible 

 to get receipts to exceed twelve thousand dollars. We let our race 

 track go, and for two years had no fair, but to show you whether 

 or not the people of the neighborhood are in favor of the county 

 fair, we got together and reorganized. Last year we had a very 

 successful fair; put on about three thousand two hundred dollars 

 in improvements, and we feel encouraged at the exhibits we had, 

 and we are all interested in the county fair and want to help it 

 along. I believe county fairs can only be run by people who are 

 interested in them. In soliciting stock for the county fair, a repre- 

 sentative came to ask my assistance. I told him that on account 

 of our local fair that it would not be worth the trouble to go 

 around. 



Motion of Governor Packard moved and carried. 



On motion, the convention adjourned until 1 :30 p.m. 



