216 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



every kind, pioneer headquarters building, space for demonstrating the 

 working of various kinds of farm implements and machinery, etc. We 

 will not take the time here to tell of the various other buildings and im- 

 provements contemplated, for a complete outline of them all will be in- 

 cluded in the printed proceedings of the board, which will be published 

 in the 1910 Iowa Year Book of Agriculture. 



NEEDED ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. 



While great advancement has been made within the past few years, 

 it will be several years yet before the necessary equipment and improve- 

 ments are completed as they should be upon the Iowa State Fair and 

 Exposition grounds. Nor will the usefulness of the exposition be en- 

 tirely apparent until the grounds are complete in every detail. 



The board will present to the thirty-fourth general assembly recom- 

 mendations for such improvements as seem most needed at this time. 

 Their recommendations will, in all probability, point out the necessity for 

 the state to acquire additional land; the building of an implement and 

 machinery shed; additional sections to the horse and cattle barns; sheep 

 barn, etc. These do not meet all the requirements but will help, and be 

 another step toward a permanently equipped exposition grounds. 



IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT 1910 AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR AND EXPOSITION GROUNDS. 



During the year warrants to the amount of $24,360.98 were issued in 

 payment of permanent improvements and repairs. $6,429.27 of this 

 amount was in payment on contracts for the previous year. There is 

 still an unpaid balance of $2,157.47 — $1,157.47 on the amphitheater con- 

 tract and $1,000.00 on the landscape plans of the grounds.' The largest 

 item of expense for improvement was for the walks, floors, iron fencing, 

 wire guard railing, etc., additional to, and surrounding the amphitheater. 

 Quite a little street improvement work was done; the most important 

 item being for the labor and cost of oil used in oiling the streets prior 

 to the fair. While we ostensibly placed the oil on the streets to keep 

 down the dust, it was equally as useful in keeping the streets free of 

 mud when the long drought was broken at the beginning of the fair and 

 we were treated to a regular old fashioned daily rain. Something over 

 12,000 gallons of oil was used, covering about 12,000 square yards of sur- 

 face at a cost of about $450.00 to $500.00. Just how lasting and permanent 

 it will be we are unable to say. We are told that after applying the 

 oil for two or three years in succession it will be unnecessary to use it 

 again for a number of years, but time only will tell. It is, to say the 

 least, worth the cost when used on the streets at the state fair grounds. 



Including the amount paid out for improvements this year there has 

 been expended within the last nine years over $280,000.00 out of state 

 fair receipts for improvements, or an average of over $31,000 each year. 

 In addition to this there has been paid out for cash prizes over $130,000 

 more than would have been paid had the prizes not been extended. Dur- 

 ing the same period the legislature has appropriated but $259,000 for ad- 

 ditional improvements at the fair grounds; this amount being for four 

 buildings, viz., stock pavilion, agricultural building, hog barn, and amphi- 



