Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-10-20
Kansas Products at the St. Louis Fair.

The following communication appears
in the St. Louis Globe Democrat of Octo-
| Der 9Th:
None of the exhibits at the st. Louis
Fair are perhaps attracting 50 much
attention as the collections of agri-
cultural productions from the Northwest
and from the State of Kansas, the latter
being exhibited by the Land Depart
ment of the Kansas Division of the
Union Pacific Railway Company, and the
former by the Northern Pacific Railway
Company. Great crowds daily throng
the building in which these displays app
pear, to witness the marvellous collections
of grasses, cereals, fruit and vegetables
especially those from Kansas A few
weeks ago the Union Pacific Railway
Company made display of Kansas pro-
ducts at the State Fair of Minnesota,
in competition against three strong
corporations in the Northwest,
and carried off to Kansas the
blue ribbon and medal, and
this fact makes the competition now at
st. Louis very interesting. The defeat
in their own territory was too much for
the Northern Pacific people to bear, and
chatting under it they appeared at st
Louis determined if possible to regain
what they had lost, but the gentlemen
who led the army of retaliation did not
seem to comprehend the strength and
number of their enemy's resources, else
they would not have risked another en-
gagement. But out of the contest the
people who are in search of cheap
farms in the West can learn a valuable
lesson. The greater variety and the SUI
periority in general of the Kansas pro-
ducts in comparison with those of the
colder climate and protracted winters Sc
cured for the Kansas display, the second
time within a few weeks, the first
premium, and as. there were at st.
Louis but two competitors, the Sec
ond premium-a silver medal-as a con-
sequence went to display No. 2.
That Kansas is wonderful State, all
people must admit; that in both dis
arrangement and in praise, more has been
said of her than of any other State; but
when her prizes are recOunted the sum-
ming up presents most favorable result,
and proves beyond question, that as an
agricultural State she has no superior
and but very few, if any, equals. Be-
ginning with the Centennial, her exhibit
there was the best Then in 1878, at the
Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, she
took first prize, and at the st. Louis Fair,
the following year, the first premium was
awarded her. In 1881 she was first at
the Illinois State Fair, and at the Atlanta
Cotton Exposition, in the same year, she
was declared the victor, and during the
present year she has taken three first
premiums, and has not yet met with q
single defeat, although strong efforts have
been made to beat her. Some people may
think that it was foOl-hardiness for the
Union Pacific to 90 up into Minnesota
with Kansas products and contend against
three strong rivals, and also against
patriotism and prejudice and expect to
gain any glory by the effort. Upon re-
Election every person who has knowledge
of the climate of the two regions, must
see at once the great natural advantage
possessed by the great central State.
To a casual observer, an array of large
punches or sheaves of wheat and oats, all
nearly of the same variety, may appear as
attractive as the display of a great variety
OF smaller, but superior sample. This is
what constitutes the difference in the two
displays now at our Fair. OF useful wild
grasses Kansas presents seventy-fve va
rieties, while the Northwest has not one
fourth of that number. In wheat, oats.
rye, barley and some other cereals, Kan
sas shows over 200 different kinds, while
her rival has comparatively but few.
In corn the variety and quality from
Kansas are so superior that it is useless
to attempt comparison, and the same
also applies to fruit. The Kansas display
embraces over 800 named varieties of
apples, pears and peaches, some of which
are OF unusual size and quality; also
thirty-five varieties of grapes. There are
stalks of corn eighteen feet high, and of
broom corn twenty feet; also rice-corn,
sorghum and hemp, of great growth; one
pumpkin of $50 pounds, and a great va
riety of vegetables. There are forty
kinds of Irish and Sweet potatoes.
The cultivated grasses are an attractive
feature of this display, especially the
millet in about six varieties, some of
which is nearly eight feet high. There
are some fine specimens of timothy, Hun
garian and white and red clover, also
alfalfa, which frequently yields three
crops in one summer and makes fine fod-
der. There is also fine collection of
coal, stone and marble, and about seven
ty-hye different kinds of wood. Kansas
people must certainly feel proud of her
fne record, for in agricultural displays
she stands to-day without a peer. The
millers OF the Northwestern buying large
quantities OF Kansas No. hard winter
wheat; they find it to be the best for ex.
port flour.