The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-07

the seed and balod in the field, so that all the shelter necessary is for the haled | crop. With broom corn up to Sl00 to $40 per ton, and with such crops as 1 saw in Kansas, there surely should be money in broom corn growing.
 Castor Beans.
 By far the prettest crop that I saw growing was the fields If castor beans Kansas grows a great many acres of this crop, which are used for making cas- tor oil The crop is now nearly 1s high as a man, and all of a uniform size, which, taken together with it's beautlfus dark green or bluisn looking foliage. makes field of this plant a beautiful one to see.
 Sunfowers.
 Kansas is called the sunhower state, ana well she deserves the name, for here 1 arc to be found great fields of sunflow- CTS growing, and next to the castor bean they make the most beautiful crops to l look upon. The seed is used also for making oil as well as for seed purposes. Then the stalks are all saved and are used for fuel, making the very best kind ling for starting fires, so that this, too. is valuable crop.
 Apples.
 r I was very much surprised at finding so many fine apple orchards in Kansas. The crop of fruit however, this year is rather short and poor in quality, but the trees and fruit on them show that the crop will pay, and that Kansas can grow fine apples. The apple crop in Missouri Is also short and poor in quality this sea- son, as compared to what 1t has usually been.
 Peaches.
 Peaches were fine in both Missouri and Kansas, though the finest peaches I have found yet were some from Oklahoma. There is a very big investment in peach growing all through Oklahoma, Kansas and Southwest Missouri
 Other Fruits.
 I noticed many other fruits, and es- pecially plums. The whole country is full of plums and they are almost too cheap now to handle.
 General Improvements.
 I travelled over Kansas thirty years ago, when the country was new. Then l little dreamed of the Kansas of today, with her many railroads, cities. factories and improved farms The farms are all, or nearly so, improved, with good houses. barns and sheds. The great wealth of Kansas Is in her farms. Nothing so much helps the looks of country as to have the farms well kept, and everything neat. All over the country farmers are work ing like bearers early and late trying to save all they can of their great crops. Even many women and children are to be seen at work in the hay fields or helping to care for the lighter crops.
 Potatoes.
 When I was over in Kansas last week the growers were finishing up their crops of potatoes in the Kansas or Kansas river valley. Here they grow nearly al- together extra early potatoes for ship ping south. This year the crop was fine, and paid well, though the cost of har- vesting was unusually heavy, for the weeds could not be kept down. In the Missouri river bottoms I saw potatoe fields where as high as three tons of grass for hay was taken off before they could get to the potatoes to dig them. This hay was fine, and paid well of it. self as crop, but just to think of such a wonderful growth of grass in potatoe fields. The whole country everywhere is grown up in great weeds, many of them as high as a man on a horse. The farm CTS cannot keep the weeds down. Then the grass for stock Is simply immense. I have never seen anything like it. Stock everywhere are fat on the fine blue grass. Missouri and Kansas will both have a great abundance of all the crops mem toned, and much to spare, if only the crops can be saved. This is the great question now. 1 want to reach home next week, and in my next letter l want to tell our readers of Iowa, tns great est agricultural state in the union, and also something of the Iowa state fair which has just closed. I only wish that I was able to bring before people, and especially before our next legislature what the educational advantages of an agricultural state fair are to a state Also the importance of the state buying and owning the lands and having the state fair permanently located at some well situated city like Birmingham.
 I have put in a week of hard work so- liciting for our fair at Birmingham, and have the promise of many Interesting features and exhibits. The Iowa Seed Corn Growers Association have. agreed to make a big exhibit at our fair. From the work which I have done here this week we expect many applications for space at our fair. We have some night attractions In view which, if secured, will prove great drawing card for us. But when I get home I shall have more to say along these lines. When away from home running around is hard place for man to write. so our readers will ex- cuse this rwambling for the present.
 We shall leave Iowa for home on Sum day, August 3l Will stop a day at least in St. Louis with friends then we must stop day or two With Kin and friends at Nashville, Tenn. Some expect to reach home next week. We have had a most enjoyable time Everyone has treat ed us so kindly My wife went over to Chicago and spent a few days with her mother and brothers
 While we have been enjoying ourselves yet we have not been unmindful of our friends and work at home. 1 am anxious to get back and help to melxe our fair a grand success. I helped fo build the great Iowa state fair, and If I can only live to see the Alabama state fair brought up to what the Iowa state fair now Is, shall feel that we have accomplished much, and l see no reason why we should not build up a great state fair in Ala bama as well as in Iowa, Illinois and other northern states What we need first of all is for our legislature to locate the fair and make necessary appropria- tions for supporting 1t and secure the / right kind of men for heads of depart ments. But I shall have more to say about fairs when I reach home.
 WEEKLY CROP BULLETIN For fha Waek Endinn Mond,x C..