NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 553 
The Iowa State Fair has become of national interest, and is now at- 
tracting the attention and attendance of many of the most noted agricul- 
tural and live stock characters in the country. Its extensive and well 
filled departments in live stock, its spacious and finely decorated grounds, 
its magnificence and grandeur in landscape, finish and natural scenery, 
with its great crowds of interested sightseers, is bound to bring it into 
national prominence and world-wide reputation as an agricultural en- 
terprise worthy the consideration of the scientific representatives of every 
land, 
CATTLE DEPARTMENT. 
Secretary J. C. Simpson of the Iowa State Fair thinks it doubtful if 
there will be a greater state fair held in America this year than was 
pulled off at Des Moines last week. 
Governor Packard was in charge of this department and with the aid 
of his efficient assistants kept things going on schedule time. There 
was much interest on the part of the public shown, as the great pavilion 
at times was crowded until standing room was at a premium during 
the time the judges were placing the awards and at times the crowd 
would take part by vigorous applause. The arena at times became too 
crowded for the judges by those visitors with special pass privileges, but 
the patient marshals good naturedly asked them to "stand back," and 
their commands were always promptly heeded. The forenoons were 
given to the horse exhibits and at 1:15 p. m. the march of cattle to the 
arena would begin into the formation of the various classes that were 
booked for the day's show. On tw^o or three occasions the evening shades 
would begin to make their appearance before the judicial work docketed 
for the day would be completed. 
The Homestead, Des Moines, loica. 
A triumph never equaled in the annals of the Iowa State Fair and 
Exposition was recorded at Des Moines last w^eek. This year's fair was 
the fifty-fourth annual exhibition of the kind, and not one of the fifty- 
three creditable fairs which preceded this one — for all Iowa fairs are 
creditable — approached the exposition of 1908 as an all-around exemplifica- 
tion of what a state fair ought to be. The probability of such a success had 
been foreseen; for great prosperity was known to prevail throughout the 
state, and the outlook for another good crop w^as excellent, and the rail- 
roads had wisely decided to make reduced rates for the fair; but the 
attendance at a state fair is largely affected by the weather and the 
weather is proverbially fickle, hence every friend of the fair was on net- 
tles, so to speak, until enough fine days had passed to insure the complete 
and unexampled success of the fair this year. 
The weather was almost as if made to order. Clear, cool and pleasant, 
it w^as delightful for the tens of thousands of visitors who flocked to the 
fair grounds from the beginning to the end of the great show. The fair 
opened on Saturday this year, a successful innovation. That day being 
children's day, several thousand adults were attracted to the grounds for 
the sake of the little ones. And the fair was complete and ready for 
them. Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday all broke their previous 
