42 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



COUNTY AND DISTRICT I^'AIRS, 1918 



During the season of 1918 eighty-nine county and district fairs 

 were held in the State of Iowa, or four less than in 1917. 



As a general proposition the fairs showed a slight falling off 

 in attendance, receipts, number of exhibitors, number head of 

 live stock and other exhibits in the various departments. The fairs, 

 however, made a most credital)le showing considering the fact that 

 about 100,000 Iowa men are in the service of their country and 

 the shortage of help on the farms reduced the attendance and 

 made it difficult for the farmers to fit and show their stock and 

 prepare other exhibits for the fairs. 



The total attendance of the eighty-nine fairs was 1,150,461, 

 paid admissions 910,849. This was a reduction of 194,798 in at- 

 tendance and 184,619 paid admissions. 



The total receipts of the eighty-nine fairs was $689,469.02 or 

 $73,738.67 less than 1917 receipts. The expense of the fairs natur 

 ally increased this year. The total expense was $651,942.72 or 

 $303.91 more than the cost of the ninety-three fairs in 1917. This 

 year forty-nine fairs showed a profit of $65,493.09 and forty a 

 loss of $27,966.79. 



The net profit of the eighty-nine fairs was $37,526.30 com- 

 pared with a net profit of $111,568.88 for the ninety-three fairs 

 in 1917. 



The state aid amounted to $51,048.36 or $3,768.88 less than 

 in 1917. 



The county fair reports filed with the department show that 

 seventy-eight held race meetings and paid out $144,996 in speed 

 premiums. The entry fees collected amounted to $42,715, leaving 

 the net cost of the racing programs at the seventy-eight meetings 

 $102,281 or an average cost of $1,311 each. 



Estimating an average of thirty or thirty-five horses at each 

 meeting the horsemen would receive, providing the money was 

 equally divided, about $40 for each horse in their stables. Infor- 

 mation secured from the horsemen shows that it cost on an aver- 

 age of $60 a week to campaign a horse at the county fa\r§^. From 



