584 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 
stock occupies in the promotion of their prosperity, that every ring of 
stock was surrounded by close and critical observers, and men too keenly 
alive to the existence of qualities that were the turning points on the 
decision of close points. 
The fairs, the live stock organizations, and the agricultural colleges 
have, in their combined efforts, succeeded in instilling into the minds of 
farmers more correct ideals of animal form, and the knowledge thus 
gained is put to the test in an examination of the stock assembled at 
the fair. 
In the ambition to produce the highest character in all kinds of meat 
animals we fear that the dairy cow has been lost sight of by many who 
formerly made creditable showings at this fair. We are on the eve of 
better things in dairying, such as the silo, the milking machine, and there 
is no reason why the dairy cow should not keep pace with all else that 
is for improvement in Iowa stock conditions. The exhibit of dairy cattle 
was a little lacking in numbers. There is no reason why this waning 
should take place, for those interested in dairying were just as anxious 
as ever to see the changes that were taking place for the better. We 
trust our dairy cattle breeders will see to it that their interests are v/ell 
represented at coming fairs. 
The work of the student classes from the Iowa Agricultural College was 
of a most useful and instructive character, and must have great influence 
on the coming generation of stock grov/ers. A prominent breeder freely 
expressed it as his opinion that the work of these students compared 
quite favorably with that of judges who v/ere known as practical breeders. 
Taken all in all there was general satisfaction with the decisions of 
the judges. In no departments except that of swine w^ere there com- 
plaints. In this department, however, there has been so much expression 
of criticism on the part of exhibitors that the fair management are in- 
clined to consider the present instances in the light of a joke. The num- 
ber of uninformed exhibitors in some classes doubtless has much to do 
with the condition. It is also aggravated by the aggressiveness of cer- 
tain interested outsiders, who really have no right to be in the rings. 
