NINETEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 303 



of visitors have come from outside states, people who have relatives at 

 Camp Dodge, and who are improving the opportunity to visit them as well 

 as the fair. Because of the expected appearance of the British fliers Wed- 

 nesday and Thursday, these will probably be the days of the largest at- 

 tendance this year. 



The opening days of the fair, Wednesday and Thursday, really were 

 preparation days, and there was a reasonably large attendance, but not 

 so large as a year ago on corresponding days. The attendance picked up 

 on Friday, this being Children's Day, when they were admitted free. By 

 this time all the exhibits were in place and the fair was in full swing. 

 Special amusements were arranged for the benefit of the young guests. 

 Judging started Saturday, and people began to come in from various parts 

 of the state. This was Des Moines Day, but the attendance was not so 

 high as might have been expected, with the weather man co-operating in 

 furnishing ideal weather, as he did on each of the preceding days. Sun- 

 day is leisure day — music programs featuring the activities. While all the 

 exhibit buildings were closed to visitors on this day, the stock barns were 

 open, and hundreds roamed thru, admiring the different breeds of cattle, 

 horses, hogs and sheep. 



In the same building with the war exhibit was a show put on by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. Tliis is the first time the gov- 

 ernment has favored the fairs with a display of this kind. It called at- 

 tention to various activities of the department by photographs and sample 

 displaj's. The Bureau of Public Roads had models showing how to con- 

 struct about every type of road to be found in country districts, and it 

 pointed out the difference between right and wrong methods of building 

 roads. Just what the Bureau of Markets is doing for the farmers was an- 

 other interesting phase of the exhibit. Its experts are keeping live stock 

 feeders, grain growers, fruit men and those growing special crops informed 

 daily by telegraphic reports of the conditions and supplies at the leading 

 markets of the country. The Bureau of Entomology had an extensive dis- 

 play of its work in helping farmers to control insect pests. Work in disease 

 eradication, especially in tick control, was featured. The Forestry De- 

 partment was represented with a display urging the better care of timber 

 lands, the planting of windbreaks, etc. 



Altho not centrally located, the government war exhibit, in old Power 

 Hall, 'attracted thousands of guests who have sons, relatives or friends 

 with Uncle Sam in France or in training in this country. The exhibit 

 showed the equipment and apparatus with which the boys flght on land 

 and sea. Enlarged photos illustrated scenes in the trenches and showed 

 various activities of the army and navy. There were the giant torpedoes, 

 machine guns, rifles and knives. Wax figures of four soldiers appeared 

 almost human from a short distance away. One was wearing an aviation 

 costume and another was prepared for a gas attack. There were the mask 

 and the breathing tube which fed out bottled oxygen, which means life to 

 those in a gas attack. Miniatures of the big war boats, submarine de- 

 stroyers and other navy craft were reproduced. The depth bombs, which 

 are the submarine's greatest foe, and the huge mines which protect our 

 principal ports were viewed with interest. No feature of the fair was more 

 popular than this war exhibit, which was the same as exhibited at Mis- 

 souri and similar to the one at Illinois. After seeing it, one has a keezier 

 and more vivid idea of what war is. 



