670 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



fruit and vegetables from each of the northern , central and southern districts. 

 This purse is divided pro rata and to the exhibit scoring highest an addi- 

 tional prize of twenty-five dollars is paid in each district. But six counties 

 made exhibits. The prize for the northern district was won by Clayton 

 county, the only exhibit made from that district. In the central district first 

 premium was won by Delaware county and secoid by Polk county. In the 

 southern district Lucas county won first, Warren county second, and Cass 

 county third. The premium for the best display of corn and grasses was 

 won by Polk county, Cass county second, and Warren county third. Pre- 

 mium for the most artistic exhibit of corn in different forms was won by 

 Polk county, Cass county second, and Warren county third. There should 

 be at least fifty different counties exhibit at the Iowa State Fair. If the 

 county fair associations and the boards of supervisors in the dififerent counties 

 would take some interest in this matter and offeV some additional money it 

 could be made a display of great value not only to people who visit the fair 

 but to the counties represented in the exhibit. The Iowa State Fair is visited 

 every year by thousands of farmers, manufacturers, and capitalists from 

 Illinois and states farther east. These people should be given the opportunity 

 to see agricultural products from as many different counties in the State as 

 possible. 



Professor Holden, who acted as judge, states that the display of vege- 

 tables was, so far as quality is concerned, the best he ever saw anywhere. 

 It has been a great year for vegetables of every kind and the exhibitors — 

 who learned from their experience last year that Professor Holden was not 

 satisfied to judge vegetables by their looks, but made thorough examination 

 of their shipping and market qualities— exercised all their skill to raise and 

 select for exhibition samples that would stand the most critical examination. 

 As a result the exhibit of all kinds of vegetables was superb. 



One of the most attractive and interesting exhibits in the agricultural 

 building was made by the Iowa Agricultural College. Charts were shown 

 on which ears of corn of different kinds were illustrated, while samples of 

 different varieties of oats and different grains were shown in glass jars. 

 Each jar was labeled with the name of the variety, the date it ripens, the 

 height, the yield per acre, the per cent lodged, the per cent rusted, etc. 

 Samples of corn were shown illustrating the effects of inbreeding, and other 

 samples showing the effects of cross-breeding. 



The exhibits in the dairy department were mostly confined to farm sep- 

 arators and machinery adapted to farm dairying. Attractive displays were 

 made by agents of the De Laval, Empire, U. S., Iowa, Reid, National, and 

 Sharpels separators. A novelty exhibited was a farm separator with a 

 bicycle adjustment to furnish the motor power. This consists simply of the 

 pedals and the sprocket wheel of the bicycle attached with chain to a 



