ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 203 



amount of state aid received was $7,423.58. No report of the holding of 

 either an institute or short course was received from the following twelve 

 counties: 



Audubon, Benton, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Des Moines, Fayette, Jasper, 

 Jones, Plymouth, Webster, Winneshiek. 



Davis county reported the holding of an institute, but the report was 

 not received until after the time prescribed by law and, therefore, the 

 state auditor could not issue his warrant for the state aid they Were 

 entitled to. 



COUNTY AXD DISTRICT FAIRS. 



A grand success from every point of view, tells best the story of the 

 county and district fairs held in Iowa during the past season. The an- 

 nual inclement weather was encountered by many of the fairs, which, 

 as it always does, interfered with both exhibits and attendance. How- 

 ever, on the whole the fairs had larger and better exhibits, paid out more 

 money for premiums, had larger net receipts, a greater attendance, and 

 fewer losses than ever before. The total number of fairs reporting this 

 year was ninety-one — there being three in one county, two in each of 

 eighteen counties, and one in fifty-two counties. Thus will it be seen 

 that fairs were held in seventy-one of the ninety-nine counties in the 

 state. It is noticeable that counties in which no fairs are held usually 

 are grouped; for instance, no fairs were held in Union, Clarke, Lucas, 

 Decatur, Wayne and Appanoose, nor in Emmet, Palo Alto, Clay, Cherokee, 

 Osceola, Plymouth and Ida. 



The total attendance reported for the ninety-one fairs was 800,000, 

 making an average attendance for each fair of about 8,700. The total 

 valuation of county and district fair ground property of the state is given 

 at $818,000, making an average value of about $9,000.00. The total in- 

 debtedness reported was $134,000, being about 16 2-3 per cent of the actual 

 valuation. The total receipts for the ninety-one fairs, for the past year, 

 totals over $426,000.00, making an average for each fair of 20 per cent 

 over the year 1909. The total amount paid out for premiums was $83,- 

 060.00, making an average of about $912.00 per fair, an increase over the 

 amount paid out in 1909 of 20 per cent. Ninety-one is the largest number 

 of fairs reported in the state for a number of years. With these facts 

 and figures we do not see how it can be said, with any regard for the 

 truth, that people are losing interest in the county and district fair; 

 in fact we believe the county and district fair is more popular with the 

 people today than ever before. 



A very good article on the county and district fairs was published 

 in the Farmers' Tribune a short time ago. It follows: 



COUNTY AND DISTRICT FAIRS. 



"The American county fair is an institution which has passed through 

 varying stages of success and failure. Some have grown to enormous 

 proportions while others have dwindled to failure and have been dis- 

 continued. Many factors have been influential in determining the sue- 



