THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK PART II. 99 



LIVE STOCK AND CORN JUDGING. 



The short course of stock judging conducted by the college at Ames 

 the past two years, has proven so successful, that it is not now a ques- 

 tion of whether enough students can be enrolled from among the farmers 

 of the state to make it pay, but what to do with all those who wish to 

 attend. It would not be surprising if the enrollment for the course the 

 first two weeks in January would be from 600 to 700. Farmers who have 

 fed cattle all their lives have said, that they never really knew how to 

 judge them until after they had attended one of these short courses. 



There will be a school of corn judging, and all those who contemplate 

 attending should select a dozen ears of their best corn and take with 

 them when they go in order to have the corn passed on by competent 

 judges. This will enable them to compare the corn grown at home with 

 that of others, and will in many cases show where improvement can be 

 made. Iowa grows 9.000,000 acres each year, and we are satisfied that 

 those who attend this school for two weeks will know more about corn. A 

 difference of five bushels per acre over the whole of Iowa would amount 

 to $20,000,000 a year, and this can be accomplished by being better able to 

 select the right kind of seed corn. Professor Holden who will have 

 charge of this work is without doubt the most eminent corn specialist 

 in the world. 



The amount of money expended in attending these courses will prove 

 one of the best investments of a life time. The actual expense including 

 railroad fare, board and everything else will be less than $25.00. 



IMPROVEMENTS FOR 1902. 



After the last annual meeting several members of the board were dis- 

 cussing the improvements to be made on the fair grounds. Each had his 

 idea of the improvements that were the most necessary, but were all of 

 one opinion in stating that the time had arrived when the state should 

 make appropriations for permanent improvements on the fair grounds. 

 The management had long felt the need of a stock pavilion. This was 

 brought before the board at their January meeting, and by a unanimous 

 vote it was decided to ask the legislature for an appropriation of 

 $37,000,000 to erect a suitable building. The bill met with a cold recep- 

 tion at the hands of some of the members at first, but after investigation 

 they were convinced that the state was badly in need of such a building 

 on the fair grounds. We are pleased to state that it passed the house by 

 a unanimous vote. It met with some opposition in the senate, but when 

 put upon its final passage there were but two votes against it. 



It was the fifth day of May when the board met to open the bids and 

 award the contracts for the erection of this building. When the bids 

 were opened it was found that the cost would be from seven to eight 

 thousand, dollars more than the appropriation. Regardless of this, by a 

 unanimous vote of the board it was decided to award contracts, and 

 draw on the funds of the department to meet the deficit. The building 

 was erected in less than four months, and was ready long before the 



