58 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



IOWA STATE FAIR AND EXPOSITION. 



Iowa's Sixty-fourth Annual Exposition of Agriculture is over 

 and becomes a subject for the chronicler of commonwealth affairs. 

 It was promoted and carried to a successful termination under 

 conditions never faced before and which, it is to be hoped, will 

 not be a controlling factor again. The attendance totaled 324,377, 

 a very satisfactory figure under the circumstances and next to the 

 largest attendance ever given to the Iowa State Fair. It was a 

 success financially, which is also a matter of congratulation, for 

 while the fair is in no sense to be listed with purely money-mak- 

 ing enterprises, profits indicate businesslike management. Besides 

 in the case of a self-supporting institution profits are very neces- 

 sary for the upkeep and improvement of the plant and its equip- 

 ment. 



The weather, always of first consideration in carrying on fair 

 work, was about all that could be desired. Save for an occasional 

 district that had recently been visited with local showers the roads 

 were in good condition for automobile travel. For the first time 

 in eight years a reduced rate on all railroads came as a welcome 

 concession to those who preferred to make the trip to the fair by 

 rail rather than by auto. All these things combined to encourage 

 a much greater attendance than might reasonably have been ex- 

 pected when it is remembered how many Iowa citizens are at pres- 

 ent outside the state, called thither by enlistments, the draft and 

 a score of war activities. 



It was a war-time fair. From beginning to end the spirit of 

 patriotism was in evidence, not in a rampant way, but deep seated 

 and earnest, and ready to burst forth into spontaneous expression 

 at the slightest provocation. From every flag pole and vantage 

 point the Stars and Stripes floated and the national colors were 

 favored above all others for decorative purposes. Thousands of 

 khaki uniforms sprinkled the great moving human color scheme. 

 The government exhibit accented the pervading sentiment of loy- 

 alty. The various exhibits and demonstrations in the line of food 

 conservation were proof that the people of Iowa appreciate the 

 situation and are co-operating with the plans and recommenda- 

 tions of the National Food Administration. The finishing touch 

 TO all these evidences of loyalty was added by the arrival of the 

 ■'Flying Circus" of war planes. 



As in the case of other big fairs this year certain departments 

 showed a marked decrease in number of exliibits compared with 

 some other years. The thinking man finds no surprise in this fact. 



