100 IOWA DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



opening day of the fair. Many favorable comments on the building were 

 made by the exhibitors and visitors at the fair, as well as by the ex- 

 hibitors at the horse show which was held in the building two weeks 

 after the fair. 



The judging of cattle and horses was carried on in this building, be- 

 ginning at nine o'clock Tuesday morning, and ending with the last class 

 on Friday afternoon. The contrast was most marked by the old-timer, 

 who weary of pushing, struggling and standing around the ring, witnessing 

 the contests of a few years ago, now settled himself comfortably under 

 the roof of the grand new stock pavilion, free from the scorching sun 

 and inclement weather. Not by word or thought did he censure the mem- 

 bers of the legislature for their action in providing a building for the 

 greatest industry in Iowa. 



The program should be so arranged at the next fair, that the horses 

 and cattle will not be shown in the arena at the same time. It is dan- 

 gerous and accidents should be provided against before they occur. In 

 this respect we were very fortunate this year, much more so than at the 

 Illinois fair where a very serious accident might have occurred. 



Prom eleven to one o'clock on Tuesday, August 26th, the building was 

 given over to the old soldiers who had prepared an excellent program. 

 Hon. A. B. Cummins and United States Senator J. P. Dolliver appeared 

 on the program at this gathering and entertained those present by short 

 addresses. The veterans should be given the standing invitation to con- 

 tinue this as a feature of the fair for Old Soldiers' Day. 



The board had arranged to dedicate the building on Monday after- 

 noon at one o'clock, but owing to the disagreeable weather the cere- 

 monies were postponed until the same hour Wednesday. Governor Cum- 

 mins dedicated the building on behalf of the state and spoke at length 

 on the greatness of the state and its resources. He quoted some) inter- 

 esting figures showing that in the United States there is employed as 

 fixed capital in manufactures a little more than $5,000,000,000. while in 

 agriculture there is invested more than $20,000,000. This address as 

 well as that of Hon. W. F. Harriman, who accepted the building on behalf 

 of the State Board of Agriculture will be found printed in full in the 

 annual "Year Book." 



DRY AIR CLOSETS. 



The two dry air closets built on the grounds had proven to be satis- 

 factory in every respect, so the board deemed it advisable to erect a 

 third this year. The building cost $3,775, a slight increase over the cost 

 of the former. These dry air closets have solved the sewerage problem 

 for the grounds and is a great improvement over the old system. 



STREETS. 



Much work was done on the streets this year in the way of grading 

 and putting on cinders and gravel. Much difficulty was experienced in 

 doing this work properly, on account of the heavy rains which at times 

 washed away the gravel before it had time to settle. However, we were 



