The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-12

that there is now nearly or quite enough moisture in the soil to finish or insure a big crop.
 In many sections the crop has covered the ground and the early sowing begin ming to stem. Then, too, the stand Is the most perfect one, as rule that l ever saw, while the crop is unusually fire in all the sections named. yet in Illinois and Texas are perhaps to be found the most perfect conditions. In these two great prairie states one can travel for miles and miles and see great fields stretching away in all directions. I think the acre. age in these two states is also larger than in any others Texas of course, has the acreage to spare and then have plenty left for all other crops. But 1t does really seem as If every one who could find a bushel of wheat last fall sowed it, and it also seems that every grain sown came up. But we see that not near all of last seasons big crop was sown, for we see farmers all through many of the states named hauling in wheat yet, and car loads are being ship ped.
 The roads being so fearfully bad impass- able all winter, Is one main reason for there being so much wheat and oth- CT grain yet in the hands of the farmers There is lots of wheat yet in the hands of the growers, but growers are anxious to get it out of the way.
 Labor.
 Now here is another great problem for our farmers to solve As I travel through the country and see this great wheat crop, l wonder where the help is to come from to care for this vast crop. Farmers are looking out ahead for this and all are anxious over the matter for help on the farm Is getting harder to procure each season. We see and hear farmers all over the country now crying out for help on the farms, and not being able to se- cure hands at any reasonable price,
 If the wheat harvest is as great as 1t now promises to be 1t will take an army of men to handle 1t. and where are these men to come from is the question? There is something remarkably strange about this labor question: for have been placed this winter where 1 have had an insight of the great emigration to this country When l stand in St. Louis, Kansas City or New Orleans, and see the thousands of emigrants going out into the great west, the question arises in my mind, what becomes of them all, and where do they go, and how can they all find em- ployment?
 But the mystery Is still greater when we leave these cities and go out in the country and hear the cry for farm help. Why l was informed by one of the con ductors of the great Southern Pacific railway, whose run Is from New Orleans west. that he had not gone out single night during the last three months with out taking out one or more cars of Italian emigrants, where do they all go, and what becomes of them is the ques- ton?
 I simply mention these facts that our readers may be on the lookout about their farm help. for as stated if the wheat harvest is to be as great as It ,ltr. ffta hG1T and the high wages paid will be an in- ducen.ent for men to quit all other work and flock to the harvest fields, and the scenes of last season will not only be re- peated but far eclipsed. The railroads will again come to the rescue and carry hands so cheap that this fact together with the high wages paid, will be great inducement for men to leave cheap jobs and go to the harvest fields
 Machinery.
 Then again the amount of machinery now being bought and shipped for the handling of the crop Is something won derful. Almost every train has thrash ing machine or binders and other ma chinery for handling the crop All this great amount of machinery will help out wonderfully In the handling of the crop, but still it will take men and lots of them, too, to handle the machinery. Now as to the emigrants referred to there Is not many of them that want to work on the farms. They seek other employ ment, especially is this true of the Italians who make up the greater part of the emgrants now moving into this country Then again it takes skilled help to handle all this new machinery.
 But a few more words on the labor question I find that men can not be had to even care for and gather the crops that are now in the fields Travelling only few days ago from St. Louis to Kan sas City over the Wabash noticed hun