758 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
exhibitors and patrons, realizing that it takes hard and diligent work 
to make an institution of this character a success. The entries in all 
departments fell below last year, but this did not lesson the attendance. 
We account for this falling off in entries to the early dates, which were 
about two weeks earlier than ever before. The society owns its own 
grounds and while they did not make any payment as yet on their in- 
debtedness they put about $200 in improvements this year and will 
probably have a little surplus from the fair of 1908. They own forty 
acres of choice land located inside the corporation of Ogden and although 
the fairs held the past several years have not been a paying proposition 
yet the increased value of lands have kept the credit of the society good. 
BOONE. 
A. M. BuRNSiDE, Boone, October, 1908. 
General condition of Crops and Season — Considering the excessive rain- 
fall during sowing and planting time the crops were good. 
Cornr— The usual acreage planted and good yield and quality. 
Oats — In some localities a good yield reported and in others very light 
but good quality. 
Wheat — Very little raised but good yield. Some winter wheat also 
raised. 
Rye — None sown. 
Barley — Good. 
Flax — None raised. 
Buckwheat — Very little raised; good quality. 
Millet — Good. 
Timothy — Good. 
Clover — Good, 
Prairie Hay — Acreage small and light crop. 
Other Grains and Grasses — Good. 
Potatoes — Not any raised for shipment; all used for home consumption; 
were of good yield and quality. 
Yegetahles — Good. 
Apples — Good crop of early varieties. 
Other Fruits — Early fruits damaged by frost; small yield. 
Cattle — The usual number being raised. Not many being fed on ac- 
count of the high price of grain. 
Horses — More being raised and a good demand for drafters. 
Swine — Average number raised; very few old ones on hand. Cholera 
reported in different localities. 
Sheep — More attention being given to the raising of sheep and good 
breeds being introduced. 
Poultry — Large numbers being raised although the numbers were con- 
siderable reduced in the spring months on account of the wet, cold 
weather. 
Bees — Very few kept but a good crop of honey. 
Drainage — More county drains being established, there being now 9,bout 
sixty in the county besides a vast amount of private drains, 
