578 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Never before in the history of the fair did the exhibitors do as much 
business as this year. Many of the farmers found it handy to leave their 
orders for the different machines they were interested in and could see 
them in operation. One manufacturer of cream separators said he had 
filled up one order book early in the week and started another. There 
v>'as never such an exhibit of farm machinery gotten together before in 
this country and it was a great opportunity to study the wonderful ad- 
vancement in this department of farm work. 
And this calls to mind another thing that impressed us and that was 
the great number of young men managing farms who visited us on the 
grounds. They may talk about the young men leaving the farm, but that 
was not the impression we got, especially when we took a look once at 
the exhibitors of live stock and almost invariably it was a young man 
making the exhibit. Iowa easily has more successful farmers and stock 
raisers among its young men than any state in the union and we think 
that is the reason the state ranks so high as an agricultural state. 
Vi^OMAN'S WORK AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR. 
From a woman's standpoint the Iowa State Fair just closed was the 
most successful yet known. There was so much to see, in three entire 
days one could get over the grounds nicely; but if only one day could be 
spent, still it vras worth the effort to have the one day, and by making 
the most of each hour a great deal of valuable information could be 
gathered, a great deal that was useful and beautiful could be seen, and if 
one went home aching from over-exhaustion, still would they say, "But 
it was worth all it cost. I wouldn't have missed it for anything." 
The weather was ideal throughout, not too hot for comfort,^, as state 
fair week frequently has been in years past. And one of the greatest 
sights of all was the people. Such crowds and crowds of them! Whole 
families together, fathers and mothers, each with a baby in arms, and 
several little steps clinging close to their side; happy sweethearts, hand in 
hand; brides and grooms, of whom fair week ahvays brings an unusual 
large number to the capital. Imagine seventy thousand people on the 
grounds in one day, each building, tent and street filled solidly with a 
mass of good-natured, jolly crowds, ever changing and moving, eager to 
see it all. And then I thought of the thousands and thousands of wives 
and daughters in lov/a farm homes who v>'ere not there, and I wished 
each one of them might arrange to attend next year, if only for a couple 
of days, not alone for the change and recreation, but to carry back the 
inspiration of meeting people, of seeing the latest inventions in domestic 
science helps, of hearing about everything pertaining to the farm, indoors 
and out, to every department of women's as well as men's work. 
Des Moines certainly had reason to be proud of the excellent treatment 
accorded the strangers v/ithin her gates. There were beds for all who 
applied, and an abundance of good things to eat; citizens everywhere went 
out of their way to show a courtesy, to direct strangers where to go, to 
explain about public buildings and the parks. The beautiful state house, 
