ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 777 



THE PONY SHOW. 



The showing of ponies was the largest ever seen at Des Moines. The 

 rings were all well filled with high-class entries, in one ring there being 

 thirty-five ponies. The pavilion was well filled with young and old visi- 

 tors during the progress of the pony show. The teams hitched to buggies 

 made perhaps the biggest hit, followed closely by the pony saddlers. 



THE HOG SHOW. 



Iowa's annual swine exhibit is always a big part of the stock show 

 at the State Fair, and well represents the importance of the state as 

 first in the production of pork. In numbers the exhibit was about the 

 same as a year ago. The strong price incentive to the growth of pork 

 prevailing the past year has not tended to increase the size of the hog 

 show, and apparently not the size of the pure-bred herds, or the amount 

 of stock for sale. The fact that "pigs is pigs" in Packingtown induces 

 breeders to sell all but the very best on the market rather than wait for 

 the farmer trade. This fact, too, has kept a lot of cheap or common sale 

 stock out of the pens at the State Fair. 



The different breeds represented this year were Poland Chinas, Duroc 

 Jerseys, Chester Whites, Berkshires, Hampshires, Yorkshires and Tam- 

 worths. The Hampshire show was the largest and best this breed has 

 ever made, and the Berkshire show was the best at Des Moines in a long 

 time. Neither the Poland China nor the Duroc Jersey exhibits were as 

 large as some former exhibits, but these two breeds continue to make 

 up the big end of the hog show as to numbers. There were two distinct 

 types of Polands as usual, the big or coarser type and the small quality 

 type. Both types got in the money, but to recognize both types in- 

 creased the difficulties of the judge. In the aged classes the best of the 

 big type winners was the third prize winner in the aged boar class. This 

 hog was certainly one of the best of his type that has been seen at the 

 Iowa State Fair, and he had friends for first place. Others, including 

 the judge, contended that the score card would have to be changed to 

 allow this rating in competition with the smaller typed show hogs. The 

 junior yearling boar class of twenty-nine was one of the strongest Poland 

 classes of the show\ Considering the different types he had to contend 

 with, the judge got through very harmoniously. In quality and numbers, 

 the Duroc Jersey show was about on a par with the Poland show. The 

 exhibitors were in a mood at times to be "shown," and some of the deci- 

 sions were pretty freely discussed. It was largely an Iowa exhibit, with 

 some strong competition from outside the state. The championships, 

 however, were won by Iowa exhibitors. 



THE SHEEP SHOW. 



A department of the fair which showed distinctive improvement over 

 previous years was the sheep show. Stronger in numbers, better in qual- 

 ity, the sheep show at the Iowa State Fair in 1910 may be put down 

 as the best show that has ever been held in the state, and it is doubtful 

 if a better sheep show has been made at any state fair. The Shropshires 



