830 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Iowa, over all other states, does not stop with numbers merely, but 

 shows up in the number of pure bred herds kept. Iowa, at its state fair, 

 makes by far the largest hog show in the world. This year there has 

 been considerable falling off in number exhibited, due to several influences, 

 the main one being the high price and scarcity of hogs at home on the 

 farm, and the scarcity of feed to keep the growing stock up in the best 

 show condition. A shortage in hog supply creates a desire to take par- 

 ticular pains to guard the herd against disease, and this often influences 

 against the breeder taking any chances of showing at the fairs, where 

 he is liable to encounter contamination from herds that are capable 

 of carrying the germs to the show. The same old contest of size, large 

 bone and small bone, is still a feature among breeders that is not 

 settled, and possibly never will be, and, for the best interests of swine 

 breeding, possibly never should be. It is safe to say of swine, as is 

 true in other kinds of live stock, that the tendency is forward— each 

 year is drawing nearer to the prefect hog. 



NUMBER <)F SHEEP BREEDERS INCREASING. 



The sheep department at this fair has been for several years past a 

 steadily developing feature of exhibit. Each year has shown improve- 

 ment in quality and increase in numbers shown. This year the 700' mark 

 was passed, this being the largest number ever exhibited on the Iowa 

 state fairgrounds. The number of Iowa breeders now exhibiting is the 

 feature of greatest interest and indicates the educational influence that 

 the foreign exhibitor has been exerting all these years of quiet and seem- 

 ing inattention by the Iowa farmer and sheepman. Iowa has awakened 

 to the importance of the farm flock, and the signs of the times would 

 indicate that for the next few years it will exceed any other state in the 

 union in the establishing of pure bred flocks. 



The state fair show this year was one of quality as well as numbers. 

 The Shropshire class was an exceptionally strong one, plenty of competi- 

 tion and at the head of all the classes a contest for honors that caused 

 the judge to scratch his head and prepare for a guess that would in a 

 measure sustain at least reasonable sheep judgment. The judge of the 

 mutton breeds, W. H. Beattie of Wilton Grove, Ontario, acquitted himself 

 quite creditably as a judge and breeder who is up to the times in present 

 day sheep improvement. 



The fine wool division was not so fully represented, though quite a 

 good display was made in the Ramboullet class of Merinos. This class 

 had the distinction of being represented by flocks from Ohio, Nebraska 

 and Wyoming, covering both the eastern farm ideas of type and also 

 the range sheep district of the west. Wyoming took the lead, having 

 one of the best displays of this family of Merinos ever shown in the 

 United States. These noted show animals represent the flock of King 

 Bros, of Laramie, Wyo., and for size of sheep and bulk of fleece, with 

 good style and finish, are hard to excel. 



The poultry show was fully up to last year in numbers and in quality, 

 the superintendent expressing the opinion that it never had been quite 



