308 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Moines the past two years, when the showing- of l)eef breeds and horses 

 compared very favorably with the big showing made at the International, 

 while the swine show excelled all other state fairs, and it is safe to say it 

 will do so this year. 



The beef breeds are not making as strong a, showing in some divisions 

 as last year, but the cattle, with few exceptions, are well fitted, and some 

 of the best specimens of the different breeds are on exhibition. 



IOWA BOYS' CALF FEEDING CONTEST. 



The bigge.=:t judging event of Saturday, and the one which required the 

 keenest work on the part of the judge, and which attracted the most in- 

 terest, was the boys' baby beef contest, in which 104 animals were en- 

 tered. Altho there were thirty-three prizes, there were not enough 

 moneys, as many of the boys had calves entitled to prize recognition. The 

 prizes ranged from $40 for the best down to $10 for those from twenty- 

 ninth to thirty-third. Charles T. Ryan, of Irwin, Iowa, was the fortunate 

 winner of the first prize, on a red Angus, which was also the champion 

 'n the class for grade fat Angus cattle in the open classes. Second place 

 was finally awarded to Josephine Garden, of Wapello, Iowa, on a pure- 

 bred Shorthorn, which was champion in the open class for cattle of this 

 breed, and which was a close contestant for first prize. Charles Warren, 

 of Gilbert, Iowa, won third place on an entry which also won him cham- 

 pionship ribbon in the grade Shorthorn open class, and fourth place went 

 to George Rosenfeld, on h's champion pure-bred Angus. These boys are 

 the future cattle feeders. The experience in fitting their animals and in 

 showing them not only in competition with one another in the calf-feed- 

 ing contest, but also in open competition with old, experienced feeders in 

 the open classes, has been a valuable lesson to them. By studying the 

 fat cattle show in the open classes, it will be observed that the bulk of the 

 awai'ds went to those who won in this contest. 



IOWA'S ANSWER TO WAR-TIME DEMANDS. 



Breeder's Gazette. 



The Iowa State Fair escaped a frost. It thus beat its unenviable record 

 of the past two years. The fair itself was far from a "frost." In its finan- 

 cial aspect it takes imposing position among the former exhibitions of 

 this generously-patronized institution. The 67,000 people on Thursday was 

 a record, and the total attendance will fall only about 25,000 short of the 

 350,000 last year which marked the climax. The receipts of $240,000 will 

 run probably less than $.5,000 behind last year. It had its weak spots in 

 exhibits, as has every fair this fall, but the standard by which it is judged 

 has been set so high that considerable drop may ensue without bringing 

 the exhibition near the mediocre rank. Its lapses were lost sight of in the 

 big message it bore of farm prosperity and enlarging and insistent demand 

 for yet greater production. It was a war-time fair, emphasizing the 

 present world's conflict and seeking to lead the way to more effective par- 

 ticipation on the part of the agricultural forces of the central valley. It 

 was a live, palpitant fair, registering visibly the pulse beats of the food 

 production forces. It was a credit to its projectors, an accurate index of 

 the loyalty of Iowa farmers, and an assurance to the nation that the cor- 

 nerstone common wea-lth of its agriculture viewed accurately the situation 

 with a solemn sense of its responsibility. 



It was not a year for material expansion or improvement in the plant. 

 Aside from laying a concrete floor in the power hall of about 36,000 square 

 feet, and adding about 25.000 feet to the cement walks, no expenditure 



