Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-15
GUT OUT The SA|[.E|S|
Is Iowa State Fair Intended as
3 an Exhibition, or a Place
For Sales?
EXHIBIT IS a MINOR FEATURE
Directors Do Not Take Kindly to sua-
sestion to Eliminate Sales Of. Stock
and Machinery-Fa rners Attend 20
Seek Stock for Breeding Purposes
Other News.
Special to Tlmes-Republican.

L. 4yCS sXMOAlCSp Nldy -NoiASuAA shN
Iowa state fair and exposition be ar
exhibition only, and should all the
sales features be eliminated? Or
should the sales features be encour-
aged? In fact, what is the Iowa state
fair for anyway?
The state board of agriculture an
swers this by saying that the state
| fair is an institution OF education III
the matter of farming and agriculture
generally in the broad sense. People
who come to the state fair only to lool;
and. pass on are cordially welcome,
and the board is glad to have them
In fact. the state fair could not run
without them, but the board is OF the
opinion. that the state fair is a good
exhibition only as It Is a good and
successful sales place. but II anything;
must be cut of 1t would be the exhi--
bition idea.
Three thousand hogs were shown al
the state fair last year. and half OF
these were sold on the grounds by the
owners and were shipped to other
places for breeding purposes. The
sales Of fine cattle are not so large be-
cause the exhibitors wish to keep
their herds together till after the fair
season is over, but at the close of the
fair season. when they hold their an
nual sales. large per cent OF the
sales are made to persons who hrst
became interested by seeing the stock
at the state fair. The same IS true OF
/ the horses and other stock.
Some people have claimed that all
this sales feature ought to be elimin-
ated and that stock ought to be Shown
as an exhibition Fonly. The manage
ment OF the fairsbelieves that the in
stitution is prinMrily for the farmers
of Iowa The f4fners Of Iowa go to
the fair because l6f the sales features.
..The Iowa staM fair Is become one
OF the greatest Actors in education
there Isl said acretary Simpson to-
day. "A large plr cent Of the farm
ers who come toL the state fair come
to buy something II they do not buy
there at the fair they get ideas that
assist them In Hying later on. The
sales Of pure BIOL swine is something
enormous. The Aales of pure blood
cattle are large. and Of horses also.
And it is Just that thing that we want
to encourage. When q farmer comes
to tie state fair and looks over the
pure bred stock. sin ninety mine cases
out Of one hundred he never again
will be satisfied with poor stock and
low grade stuff. When the state fair
has put the farmer in that frame or
mind 1t has accom- pllshed Just what 1t
set out to acconidl
"a farmer Of w-aSd$ yE:San.t look
at the ffne3 stocksbt the 3Ea4f fair and
then be satisfied with the low grade
stock he has att homs Every farmer
who attends the Estate fair and looks
thru the machinery department, gets
ideas on machineFy thatAare Of ines
timable value tokhim. ktJnless the ex-
hibitors aresafloAed tossssllll the stock
and machinery they have on exhibition
the best feature Of the fair would he
cut off and s4ssrasgp11iDEtok sapear
the interest there is now"
The state fair this year, according
to all reports and indications, will be
one OF the greatest in the history
OF the state. Attic Il Is three and
half months till the fair will open
there is already assurance that all the
available space will be taken. The
horse, and cattle barns and swine pa
wilton will be filled Last year In spite
Of the fact that the state had just
erected a. $4,000 swine pavilion there
was 800 head of swine turned away
because Of lack OF space
There were go swine exhibitors q,
the fair last year. II There were eighty
seven cattle exhibi torsr and Of these