THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XIII 779 



The poultry department was one of great interest to many visitors 

 and is steadily climbing higher in exhibition quality each year. There 

 were 1,650 fowls in the coops, 100 more than last year, and in quality 

 it was the opinion of expert judges that this year's display has never 

 been equaled. The prevailing tendency is toward the breeding of the 

 American classes, as these are favorites among the farmer poultry 

 raisers. Another prominent feature is that the farmer breeder is the 

 foremost exhibitor. This fair has discriminated against the huckster 

 exhibitor, the professional exhibitor who fits himself out with a line 

 of exhibition fowls and makes the rounds of the fair solely for the 

 premium money that he can get out of it. No one can now display 

 more than fifty fowls; this disarms the huckster exhibitor, making 

 the money incentive too small to justify the following of the fair 

 circuits. 



SALE OF BABY CHICKS QUITE POPULAR. 



The exhibition of large incubators with a capacity of from 1,200 

 to 10,000 eggs at one hatching, was a matter of interest to many 

 poultrymen and women. The sale of baby chicks, in place of eggs 

 for hatching, is becoming quite popular among the fanciers. The 

 chick is shipped in a specially constructed pasteboard crate and arrives 

 at its destination in good condition ready to start off growing. The 

 poultry department of the Ames Agricultural College made several 

 feature exhibits that were very instructive; among them were the kill- 

 ing and dressing of fowls, the trap nest, methods of feeding for eggs 

 and for meat, sanitation of poultry and poultry quarters, plans for 

 poultry houses, etc. 



The sheep department was about up to average years. The fine 

 wool classes were represented by the Rambouillet, American merino 

 and the three types of Delaine merino. All of these showed together 

 as one class, except the Rambouillet, which stood by itself. The show 

 as a whole was not a strong one, though several prominent flocks were 

 present; among those were two from Ohio. The strong type character- 

 istics of each distinct breed or family of merinos was not given any 

 consideration by the judge, which put the exhibitors at a loss to know 

 what the founders and builders of these various breeds had accom- 

 plished after their work of generations of men and sheep, if it was all 

 to be lightly cast aside by the actions and decisions of one person, who 

 had no experience as a breeder and handler of these sheep. The mutton 

 division was well represented by prominent flocks, the competition close 

 and careful, practical judging observed. The inquiry for breeding rams 

 was very encouraging to the exhibitors and no doubt many sales will 

 follow. 



The cattle department, from the standpoint of quality in most breeds, 

 has never been excelled. The dairy breeds were never so fully or so well 

 represented as this year. The Holstein, Guernsey, Jersey, Ayrshire, 

 Brown Swiss and Red Poll were all prominent in the show ring, the 

 quality being exceptionally good. 



