136 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
educational possibilities until today it is recognized as the greatest an- 
nual exposition in the world from the standpoint of exhibits and attend- 
ance from the rural districts. There are one or two other fairs where 
the attendance greatly exceeds that of Iowa, but no other can approach in 
the number and quality of her live stock, farm implements, vehicle and 
machinery exhibits. 
I know it has become quite monotonous to remark "the fair promises 
better than ever", or that the last one was bigger and more successful 
than any before; but what else can I say at this time than to tell the 
truth. Not only was the attendance the largest in the history of the fair, 
but the exhibits and number of exhibitors greatly exceeded those at any 
previous exhibition. Over thirteen thousand entries were recorded by the 
fourteen hundred exhibitors, and thirty-nine thousand dollars in cash 
prizes distributed to about nine hundred of the fourteen hundred ex- 
hibitors. Of the five hundred remaining exhibitors not receiving pre- 
miums, three hundred and twenty-five were entered in departments 
where no cash prizes were offered, leaving less than two hundred, or 
only about eighteen per cent of the total number of exhibitors, who re- 
ceived no cash premiums. This tells the story of the keen competition 
presented by the exhibitors in the various departments. 
Never in the history of any state fair was a larger number or better 
quality of horses, breeding cattle, sheep and swine led into the show ring 
for the judges to pass upon than at the last Iowa State Fair and Expo- 
sition. The aggregate number of breeding animals entered was fifty 
per cent larger than the entries for the great International Live Stock 
Show which closes at Chicago tomorrow. It is true that they had about 
seventy more entries of breeding cattle, but the entries of horses, sheep 
and swine at Iowa exceeded those at the International. The total num- 
ber of individual entries was substantially as follows: 
Iowa State Fair International Live 
and Exposition. Stock Show. 
Breeding cattle 820 888 
Horses 765 628 
Sheep 600 550 
Swine 2275 None 
4460 2066 
Go where you will among the breeders and exhibitors of pure bred 
live stock and you will hear them prasing the exhibit of stock at the 
Iowa State Fair and Exposition. They will also tell how highly a rib- 
bon won in competition at this annual show is prized by the exhibitor. 
With this large exhibit is it any wonder that a judge is sometimes be- 
wildered and at a loss to know where to tie the ribbons. At that there 
is far less friction and complaint of the judging of stock at the Iowa 
Fair than at any of the other big shows. Four hundred and fifty ex- 
hibitors represent the number of breeders participating in the great 
stock show at the last fair. 
The magnitude of the exhibit of farm implements, machinery, ve- 
hicles, fencing, labor saving tools, and devices of all kinds and makes is 
