832 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



and agricultural college exhibits; the creamery supply features, dairy 

 products and creamery machinery, etc. A large division was occupied 

 by the cream separator representatives and the various separators, etc., 

 that they handle. Special exhibits of an agricultural character are given 

 space in this building— land advertising exhibits, both foreign and those 

 representing states within our own county. Frank Odell, the bee wizard 

 of Nebraska, was located in this building, the man who goes into a cage 

 with a swarm of otherwise infuriated bees, tames them down to the 

 most innocent, harmless pets, that crawl around over his face, bare arms 

 and hands in the most docile and affectionate manner, while this great 

 bee tamer talks to hundreds of curious people who crowd around to 

 hear what he has to say and see his reckless performance, even more 

 daring than Daniel in the lion's den. 



MAP IX GRAIN AND SEEDS. 



A very artistic piece of work, and quite educational in its detail and 

 purpose, was a map of the United States made of grains and seeds, 

 representing the corn belt of our country and presenting the compiled 

 agricultural statistics of Iowa in farm products, live stock, etc. This map 

 occupied a wall space of possibly 20x80 feet. Its effect of shading to 

 show the corn belt was quite accurate and impressive, placing the big 

 corn-producing states in the center and shading from a very dark red 

 to a lighter color from this as it approached the less productive districts. 

 Iowa's 1,447.000 horses. 6,485,000 hogs, 5,181,000 cattle, 754,000 sheep, 

 47,000 mules and 22,062,000 poultry were an eye-opener to the Iowa farmer 

 even. This piece of art was designed and prepared by Fred Hethershaw, 

 a prominent young farmer near Des Moines, who has for several years 

 been a leader in exhibiting Iowa products at the large fairs and exposi- 

 tions of the country. 



The display of farm products, while much larger than has heretofore 

 been made at this fair, was not of the kind, character, artistic arrange- 

 ment and magnitude that a great agricultural state like Iowa should feel 

 satisfied in putting before the public. The horticultural display was very 

 weak, due largely to the lack of material to make a show. The work of 

 the frost and freezing of last April and May left practically nothing on 

 the hands of Iowa fruit growers to select from. This is not only true 

 of Iowa, but is shared in by most other states in the same latitude. 



EIGHTY-FIVE ACRES OF MACHINERY. 



The machinery department of the Iowa state fair is a show by itself. 

 In other words, it is so large and covers so much space that only the 

 interested who can take time to travel about among these exhibits can 

 form much idea of its immensity. It is said to occupy eighty-five acres 

 of ground and every foot of available space was taken. There were forty 

 traction engines exhibited this year. In this department there were 100 

 more exhibitors than last year and 700 more people to take care of as 

 assistants and helpers. "The machinery display of this year was the 

 largest, cleanest exhibit we ever had on our fair grounds," was the expres- 



