520 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ter school. The first work of this cource was with 29 sheep picked out 

 of a flock of 1,100 owned by Chandler Bros. The college flock was also 

 drawn upon for types in the wool and mutton work. An outstanding 

 individual in this collection was a champion wether from the herd of 

 King Edward VII., which later in the meat demonstration was pro- 

 nounced by John Gosling as the model animal. 



The cattle exhibit, in addition to animals from the college herd, was 

 assisted by the presence of Short-horns from Flynn Bros, and Mansfield 

 & Harmon. The Angus classes were strengthened by nine individuals 

 from the herd of O. V. Battles. The dairy classes were handled by Pro- 

 fessor H. G. Van Pelt and consisted of lectures and demonstrations of 

 the different dairy breeds. 



This year the horses represented more breeds than ever before and 

 there was every type of desirable western animal. The college furnished 

 the draft mares from its own stables — Clydesdales and Shires and the 

 Clydesdale stallion Kuroki. He was supported by stallions of the Perch- 

 eron, Belgian, German Coach and Hackney breeds from the barns of 

 A. B. Holbert. 



Three of the prize winning Berkshire barrows at the International had 

 been returned for short course work and furnished good classes of typical 

 fat hogs. Breeding classes of Duroc Jersey sows, Poland-China sows, 

 Berkshire sows and Chester White gilts were also considered. York- 

 shires were used to emphasize the bacon type, which is not so well known 

 in Iowa as is the fat hog type. 



In the meat demonstration John Gosling dwelt on the merits of Iowa 

 fattened beef, pork and mutton. Little Jack, a Hereford-Angus cross 

 shown at Chicago, was the principal exhibit in this class. In contrast 

 to his well-proportioned lean and beautifully marbled cuts were cuts from 

 the same parts of a medium good steer and a canner. Mr. Gosling pro- 

 nounced Little Jack one of the finest quality animals on foot that he ever 

 saw and the slaughter proved that his judgment was good. The educa- 

 tional features of this demonstration cannot be overlooked. As an aid to 

 both the breeder and feeder it has no equal and the work of John Gos- 

 ling has made many a man a better stock judge and many a feeder a 

 wiser man. A very interesting feature was the lectures of Dr. J. H. Mc- 

 Neil and his assistants on conformation and soundness, diseases of ani- 

 mals and general bacterial diseases. 



The pre-eminence of Iowa as a corn state was evident as one looked 

 upon the students who were busying themselves with learning more of 

 this great cereal. The second week was given to the same kind of work 

 with small grains. Lectures on alfalfa, Mendel's law, eradication of 

 weeds, seed testing and handling of small crops varied the laboratory 

 work in this course. Professor M. L. Bowman, assisted by Professor B. 

 W. Crossley and the members of the two champion grain judging teams, 

 did the teaching work in this course. The 400 members of the Iowa 

 Corn Growers' Association, which holds its annual meeting at Ames dur- 

 ign the short course, were the backbone of the agronomy crowd. This 

 association distributed $5,000 in prize money. The grand championship 

 for ten ears was won by C. R. Bishop, an amateur exhibitor, who also 

 captured the Whiting trophy. The grand champion single ear, shown by 



