100 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



than in any other class of stock, and the need of work along this line is- 

 very great. Every effort should be put forth on the part of the Stat^ 

 Board of Agriculture to increase the interest in the horse exhibit at 

 the State Fair and encourage the showing of a greater number of Ameri- 

 can bred horses. The breeding of horses will never be as profitable as 

 it should until our people learn that a high class brood mare is as 

 essential in the raising of a good colt as is a high grade, well bred cow 

 in the raising of a good calf. To accomplish this, better brood mares 

 must be used, and I hope to see the time when the show of brood 

 mares and fillies in the ring at the Iowa State Fair will be as numerous 

 as the stallions and colts. 



No better herds of cattle were ever entered at any show, nor a 

 larger list of entries received, than in the breeding classes at the fair 

 this year. It was an exceedingly strong show in all breeds having a 

 classification in our list, as was shown by the wide distribution of 

 premiums. The showing of Shorthorns, Herfords and Angus in the 

 beef breeds were the strongest, the Galloway, Polled Durham and Red 

 Polled being well represented. In the dairy breeds but two classe.^ 

 were shown — Holsteins and Jerseys, the showing of Jerseys being the 

 strongest in years. In all, seven hundred and seventy-eight entries 

 were received, and out of this number about seven hundred were at 

 the fair. Figured on a basis of ten animals to each exhibitor, this would 

 make a total of seventy cars of cattle. And such cattle as they were! 

 Great massive animals rapresenting the finest type among their respec- 

 tive breeds. It was certainly a paradise for the lover and breeder of 

 cattle. Nowhere throughout the whole land was there ever such an 

 oportunity for the farmer to study the breeding and types of the beef 

 animal. What an object lesson for comparison! What an opportunity 

 to converse with the most intelligent breeders and expert judges of our 

 country. To those who were present and failed to get the full benefit 

 of this, the greatest showing of breeding cattle ever before gathered 

 at one place, we can only feel that they did not use their sense of 

 sight, feeling, and — well, you can come again next year and make up 

 for this lost opportunity, for if all signs do not' fail, there will be a 

 larger and better show than ever. 



If the Iowa State Fair has a reputation the country over for the 

 number and quality of cattle shown each year, it is none the less 

 known for her swine exhibit. And what is more befitting in a state 

 with double the number of hogs of any other, that at her annual State 

 Fair the swine exhibit should be in the sarae proportion. More than 

 twenty-five hundred head of hogs were on exhibition this year, and 

 the number was -only limited by the lack of room to erect more pens. 

 In all, probably six to seven hundred were turned away by this lack of 

 room to provide the necessary pens. The quality was much better, 

 showing that rivalry among the breeders is growing keener each year. 

 The showing of Poland Chinas was the largest — ten hundred and 

 ninety-one being shown by more than eighty-five breeders, all but 

 fourteen being from Iowa. Duroc-Jerseys came next — seven hundred 



