SEVKNTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART IX. 429 



"I would like to forbid the hall to children afflicted with "card-o- 

 phobia," exclaimed a disgusted exhibitor as he emptied his last box 

 of cards. "I must leave my cards where visitors can see them when 

 I am not on hand to show my birds. I want everyone interested in my 

 breed to take a card, but it is a nuisance to see a string of children 

 with no interest in the chickens carrying off a card from each coop, 

 which they throw away as soon as they are out of the building." 



THE IOWA STATE FAIR. 

 The Homestead, Des Moines, Iowa. 



Prosperity is the most important factor that has to do with the 

 making of a successful State fair or exposition of any kind. This, to- 

 gether with up-to-date management, is exactly the right combination. 

 Each played its full part last week and the first State Fair of the season 

 far excelled all past records made in the Hawkeye State. In the mat- 

 ter of receipts, a gain of fully 30 per cent was made over the record of 

 1905. 



From start to finish the weather was perfect for exhibitors, for 

 visitors and for the comfort of the animals on exhibition. The city of 

 Des Moines handled the crowd better than ever before, and no small 

 amount of praise is due the Commercial Club for the assistance in 

 finding homes for the fair visitors. The practice of arranging in ad- 

 vance for lodging has done much to prev^t the congestion of the 

 streets during the evening hours by visitors who had not found lodg- 

 ing. Transportation service was improved over former years, as cer- 

 tain changes made by the Des Moines Street Railway Company facili- 

 tated the movement of the crowds. Jams of course will always occur 

 when sixty or seventy thousand people decide to go to the same place 

 at the same time, but we venture to say that visitors this year gained 

 the impression that Des Moines was well equipped in her transporta- 

 tion facilities. 



The striking feature of the fair was that it was well balanced, every 

 department being well filled with exhibits. Possibly records have been 

 made in single departments in the past that would excel the record of 

 1906, but taking all in all the fair held last week was the climax. 

 The machinery in itself covered practically forty acres, and the crowds 

 of inquiring visitors who stood around the machinery exhibit indicated 

 that the farmers of Iowa are in shape financially to invest in labor- 

 saving devices. Almost every manufacturer who made an exhibit de- 

 clared that never before did prospects seem so bright for future busi- 

 ness. The great lack in this department is a mammoth machinery 

 hall, such as is supplied in one or two of the sister states. Other 

 improvements are needed, and needed badly, but we hope in the near 

 future to see a building that will house the greater part of the ma- 

 chinery. 



