400 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



were but two county exhibits, one from Polk, prepared by Mr. Fred 

 Hethershaw, who won first; and the other from Delaware, prepared and- 

 installed by the well-known exhibition man, L. G. Clute. These exhibits 

 were tasteful in design, while the quality of the products shown were 

 high-class in every detail. In the southern district Lucas county was en- 

 tered by the Messrs. Plow; Cass by Mr. C. Malone; Warren by Mr. Shet- 

 terly. The latter two counties were tied for first money and the first 

 named county placed second. The exhibits made were creditable in every 

 way and few features of the fair attracted more favorable comment. 



Agricultural hall this year held more than its usual quota of educa- 

 tional exhibits. The agronomy and soils department of the Iowa Agri- 

 cultural College had installed exhibits that attracted much attention. In 

 addition to making a show of the best corn that has been exhibited during 

 the last few years, the result of various experiments was illustrated in a 

 graphic manner. For instance, piles of corn showed the difference in the 

 product from a single car, this varying in some cases as much as 100 per 

 cent. It indicated plainer than any words could convey that there is a 

 marked difference in the yielding ability of two ears of corn that look 

 nearly alike. Then there was the illustrated exhibit in which the yield 

 was shown when corn is planted in different thicknesses. The yield in 

 1906 from one kernel per hill was fortj^-two bushels; one and one-half 

 kernels fifty-two bushels; two kernels sixty-four bushels; two and one- 

 half kernels sixty-nine bushels; three kernels seventy-three bushels; three 

 and one-half kernels seventy-four bushels; four kernels seventy-five bush- 

 els; four and one-half kernels seventy-six bushels, and five kernels sev- 

 enty-seven bushels. These results were the average made from ten county 

 experiment stations in the year mentioned. Another feature in the Agri- 

 cultural hall was the exhibit of Garton Bros., of Warrington, England. 

 This notable firm of grain improvers made their appearance in America 

 for the first time with samples of their grain which they have improved in 

 such a marked degree during the last twenty-five years. They were mak- 

 ing a specialty of oats, both the spring and winter varieties, and no de- 

 partment in the Agricultural hall attracted more attention than the sam- 

 ples of grain shown by this firm. The Garton Bros, are of the opinion 

 that the corn belt needs regenerated grain; that is, grain that has been 

 improved by crossing and selection. The work in England has resulted 

 in increasing the yield as much as fifty per cent, and the possibility of 

 attaining a similar result in the corn belt seems feasible. 



The judging contest between young men under twenty-one years old in 

 competition for scholarships offered by the agricultural society to the 

 Iowa Agricultural College continue to be popular. This year thirty-three 

 young men were on hand to judge the live stock and the corn. The 

 winners of first and second premiums are given a $200 and $100 scholar- 

 ship, respectively, third getting $25 and fourth a Scotch collie pup. A 

 contest was also conducted for j^oung women by the Iowa Agricultural 

 College. There were nine contestants, each being called on to mix and 

 bake a tin of biscuits and cook a porterhouse steak. This was followed 

 by each giving written reasons for the various steps of the operation. 



