654 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



continuing three days. We hope the interest manifested during the late 

 fair will increase tenfold before the second Wednesday of October, 1855; 

 and, in the meantime we hope that the general assembly, at its next session 

 will do something handsome for the society. It deserves it, for it is doing 

 more to develop the real wealth of the State than any other organization 

 in existence. 



[From the Burlington Daily Telegraph, Tuesday, October 31, 1854.] 

 STATE FAIR AT FAIRFIELD. 



TEN THOUSAND PERSONS PRESENT AT ONE TIME— GREAT TIMES AND GREAT 

 ENTHUSIASM— FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD DAYS. 



We recur with pleasure to this most interesting subject. As stated in our 

 last, the weather was delightful, and the attendance unexpectedly large, 

 and the whole affair went off with a spirit at once gratifying to our State 

 pride, and commenable in every respect. Arriving early in the morning of 

 the first day, we found every avenue of the town crowded with people, 

 horses, and every manner of vehicle, and all the hotels crowded to over- 

 flowing. The good citizens of the place, however, determined to make 

 themselves equal to the emergency, and lost no time in providing comfortable 

 quarters for the rapidly ingathering comers, so that by noon every man upon 

 the ground knew where to find an excellent "eating and sleeping place." 

 Being among the number who were early cared for, we were left at liberty 

 to repair immediately to the fair grounds. 



First Day— Wednesday, October 25, 1854. 



Arriving at the grounds, we were ushered into an enclosure of some six 

 acres, provided with a display room, committee rooms, places for machin- 

 ery and agricultural implements, stalls and pens for cattle, etc. , and in the 

 center of the ground a handsomely graded circular track some thirty feet in 

 width and about a third of a mile around, which had been prepared for the 

 accommodation of the lady equestrians. 



It is proper to state here that this enclosure was not more than a quarter 

 as large as it should have been, in the other arrangements as extensive or 

 convenient as the occassion required, yet, as a first effort the managers are 

 fairly entitled to commendation, with the understanding that they will do 

 much better next time. Extensive booths with elevated seats where ladies 

 and gentlemen may be comfortably seated, together with a fine band of 

 music, are requisites which should not escape attention in the future. 



The first item of note on the morning of the first day was the presenta- 

 tion of the great Denmark Cheese to the Governor elect. This was a sort 

 of side affair and not connected legitimately with the fair proper. The 



