304 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



There ought to be a special building for exhibits of the state Institutions 

 and for those of the colleges. The tent in which the nine or ten state 

 institutions have to demonstrate what they are doing is entirely inade- 

 quate. This year the tent was more favorably located than formerly, but it 

 was so thickly crowded almost every hour of the day that little oppor- 

 tunity was given guests for getting acquainted with the exhibits. Each 

 of the following had very creditable displays of their products: Iowa 

 State Reformatory, at Anamosa; Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home, Daven- 

 port; State Hospital, Independence; State Hospital, Mt. Pleasant; Boys' 

 Training School, Eldora; Iowa State Penitentiary, Fort Madison; State Hos- 

 pital, Cherokee; Girls' Training School, at MitchellvlUe, and the Home for 

 Feeble-Minded, at Glenwood. Most of the work at these institutions is 

 done by inmates, and there are no slacker acres In the grounds of the vari- 

 ous institutions. Few persons have an opportunity of visiting any of the 

 state institutions, but they are doing work which is of interest to nearly 

 every one. With more room and better facilities for exhibiting the prod- 

 ucts of their industry, this part of the fair would be one of the best 

 features. 



One of the most interesting exhibits to be seen at the fair was the demon- 

 stration put on l^y the state cow testing organization. This year the cows 

 were from herds in Marshall county, and many valuable lessons could be 

 picked out by studying production figures for each of the ten cows. There 

 was not so much difference in the looks of individual cows as between 

 figures showing their profit end production. One cow made a poor record 

 of 136 pounds of fat in a year and a profit of .'P22.64 over and above feed 

 cost. Two of her daughters also were there, one with a scrub for a sire 

 and the other with a pure-bred dairy sire. Altho the two cows had the 

 same dam, the one with the pure-bred sire produced more fat and more 

 profit in six months than did either her sister or mother in a year. An- 

 other cow produced 303 pounds of fat in a year, when kept under bad man- 

 agement. It happened that this cow the following year had better man- 

 agement, and she increased her production to 374 pounds of fat. Cow test 

 association work is being continued under difficulties, on account of lack 

 of testers, but no organization is doing the dairy interests more substan- 

 tial good. 



County agents were too busy at home to make their usual strong col- 

 lective show this year, only six counties being represented. It takes a 

 lot of time to prepare an exhibit of this nature, and more time to display 

 it. The six counties having booths in Agricultural Hall were Polk, Buena 

 Vista, Guthrie, Marion, Cass and Wayne. The Marion county display was 

 put on by the Pleasant Hill Community Club. A service fiag made out of 

 red, white and blue corn featured the Polk county exhibit, 4,190 men be- 

 ing in the fighting forces from this county. The absence of exhibits from 

 several counties that usually are represented was noticeable, and missed, 

 as visitors from different counties like to see how their own county prod- 

 ucts compare with those of other counties. It is not until one sees the 

 great variety of grains, farm crops, vegetables and other products ar- 

 ranged in neat order that he fully appreciates the different things being 

 grown in his home community. While there were fewer exhibits this year 

 than usual in the space reserved for county displays, the quality and at- 

 tractiveness of those at the fair were fully up to standard. 



For the first time in eight years tlie railroads granted special rates for 

 fair visitors this year. This was the result of a conference between the 

 state fair officials and railroad heads, held in Chicago some time ago. A 

 rate of one and one-half times the regular one-way rate was granted for 

 a round-trip ticket. Too many passenger coaches are being used for troop 



