770 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



remained over night. In the afternoon and evening they were used as 

 ushers for the evening shows. The boys had a good time, but before 

 the week was over many of them were inclined to doubt whether they 

 had received a free trip to the fair. They worked long hours, and had 

 less time for sight-seeing than many of them had hoped for. This will, 

 no doubt, be remedied another year. We are quite sure that the fair 

 officials had no desire to impose upon the boys or to give them more to 

 do than could be fairly considered as good for them. A year or two's 

 experience is required to get a thing of this sort to running smoothly. 

 Fred Hansen, the Y. M. C. A. county secretary, and Leonard Paulson, the 

 high school Y. M. C. A. secretary, took good care of the boys in camp. 



The exhibit of fruits and grains and the individual farm exhibit in 

 the agricultural building were by all odds the best which have yet been 

 made. The increasing number of exhibits made by individual farmers is 

 most satisfactory, and it is evident that if this feature continues to grow, 

 more room must be provided. 



The live stock exhibit was first-class in every respect. This will be 

 dealt with at length by our special staff. The weather permitted showing 

 many of the horses in the open air south of the horse barns, thus re- 

 lieving the congestion in the live stock pavilion. 



Ninety-eight boys competed for the five scholarships at the agricultural 

 college offered for the best work in judging live stock. They passed 

 upon two classes of draft horses, two of beef cattle, two classes of hogs 

 and also two classes of corn. Having made their awards they are re- 

 quired to give their reasons for their placing, putting these in writing. 



THE STOCK SHOW. 



For some years Iowa has enjoyed the reputation of making the largest 

 and best annual exhibit of pure bred stock found at any of the state 

 fairs. Her exhibit this year, as witnessed by the many thousands who 

 attended the fair last week, well maintains this good reputation, and, 

 although the first state fair of the season, the exhibit will hardly be ex- 

 celled by any of the state fairs to follow. Some idea of the value of the 

 stock on exhibition may be had from the estimate the fair association 

 put on the prize winners in Friday's parade, which they advertised as a 

 "million dollar parade." This did not include the hogs and sheep, as 

 they cannot go in the parade, but only prize winning horses and cattle. 

 Yet in numbers the cattle, swine and sheep departments reflected some- 

 what the decrease in stock as shown by recent government statistics, and 

 by the prices at the leading markets, where beef cattle have recently sold 

 higher than ever before. These prices have put new life in the stock 

 business and the stock men who are still in the business are feeling 

 better than they have for some years. 



