NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 555 
While the lateness of the season cut down to some extent the exhibit 
of agricultural and horticultural products, yet the character of the ex- 
hibits installed was sufficiently high to be beyond criticism. Iowa has 
never made a record as to the number of county exhibits made at the 
State Fair, though the quality of the products shown wall compare fa- 
vorably with those state fairs where the county exhibits are more exten- 
sive. In the northern third of the state Clayton and Cherokee counties 
were the only contestants, the latter installed by Victor Felter, carrying 
away first premium. Mr. Felter's exhibit showed rare taste in design 
and the high quality of grains, fruits and vegetables furnished the sub- 
ject for much favorable comment. There were but two counties in the 
central, Polk and Delaware. The former, installed by Fred Heathershaw, 
of Des Moines, carrying off the prize by a score of eighty-nine out of a 
possible 100 points. The Delaware county exhibit was installed by Mr. 
L. G. Clute, who made a most excellent showing, scoring 79 out of a pos- 
sible 100 points. There were three counties in the southern class, namely, 
Cass, which scored 85 per cent, winning first; Warren, 83 per cent, second, 
and Lucas third with a score of 81 per cent. 
Too much praise cannot be given to the educational exhibit made by 
the Agricultural College. This included a model cottage in which was 
shown the possibilities of comfortably furnishing a four-room cottage at 
a minimum cost. This exhibit was certainly a study in harmony of color, 
convenience of arrangement and economy as applied to household affairs. 
It attracted no small share of attention on the part of visitors. The col- 
lege exhibit included models of individul hog houses, milking machines, 
barn models, and an exceedingly interesting series of maps dealing spe- 
cially with the rotation of crops. No part of the fair furnished a more 
interesting study than the minature map of the state designed to show 
the acreage of the most important grains grown in each county, and of 
course no educational exhibit would be complete in these days without a 
display of corn racks of the most modern type. These proved to be the 
center of much attraction. Farmers, on the whole, spend much time 
in studying these various phases of the work that is being done at the 
college, and not a little interest w^as taken in examining the weed speci- 
mens that were there shown, as a state fair is above all things an edu- 
cational institution, this feature is to be most highly commended, and 
in our opinion it would not be unwise to even provide larger quarters for 
the installation each year of an exhibit of this character, with such added 
features as may come up from time to time. 
The fair board of managers acted wisely when they outlined their 
musical program for this year. Something out of the ordinary was at- 
tempted and, in addition to the famous Liberati band, upwards of a score 
of opera singers w^ere engaged to take part both in the daily and even- 
ing programs. So popular was this feature that not in a single instance 
was the amphitheater large enough to accommodate those who w'ished to 
hear the musical program; and this only brings up the old subject again, 
