The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-16
AGRICULTURAL
 DEPARTMENT
CONDUCTED BY FULTON S. WHITE.

should find that I was 100000 bales short, for we need 1t.
 But 1 will have to wait for the returns before changing my estimates. In the west a great acreage of wheat Is being sown All through the west there has been good rains, so that farmers could prepare the soil for seeding. There is plenty of stock water and grass Cattle generally in the west are fat. While beef or cattlemen are complaining of low prices for cattle they should remember that beef has been produced cheaper, perhaps. this year than ever before in the west. The grass and water have been fine all the season through. and cattle have been produced on the range.
 The Illinois State Fair.
 Illinois has. or, is today, closing out the greatest fair in the history of the great state. I spent several days this week at this fair. but I cannot take time to more than give an outline of what there saw. The exhibit of corn was the largest and best I have seen since the exposition at Chicago. The samples were well matured and selected with great care. and the pureness to type was the best I ever saw. The exhibits from field orchard and garden were all unusually large and fine and every inch of space was taken in this department Of the exhibits in machinery I will not begin to mention, for there were acres and acres covered
 The stock department, too, was full There were 5000 hogs. on~ exhibition and of COWS and horses the like was never before seen at any state fair. On Thurs day over 50O0O tickets were sold. The weather was fine.
 At the Tomb of Lincoln.
 While here had the pleasure of visiting the tomb of the immortal Lincoln. As 1 stood by this monument my mind flowed fast back through the history of years. for it was few months over thirty-eight years since I heard the roar of cannon sounding forth the news that Lincoln had been killed. It all seemed like a dream, and that such a thing could not have happened. But 1t did and what followed as the result we all know. The saddest thoughts of word or pen are these: 'It might have been" Yes. who knows But l thought as I viewed the marble casket, which was exposed this week to view: If you had only lived how different would read the history of reconstruction and klukux days of our beloved southland. Our people never knew what a friend we had in Lincoln until the mists had cleared away.
 Then, too. as I stood there I thought now appropriate would it be for all our southern states to follow the example of Mississippi, by hanging a life-size picture or Lincoln in their state houses. I stood hard by and saw the great throng of people, childhood. youth, manhood; wo- men and men bending under the weight or years all vending their weary way up the long winding iron stairway for the monument is on a high hill-on and up until the summit was reached. Nearly all of the older people went away with tears streaming down their cheeks. and this was noticeable with nearly all the older men who were in the war. And 1t was like one mother who had rivsn hcr sons for her country expressed 1t; "We all loved him" But the most pathetic scene of all was to see the old soldiers who wore the grey marching up side by side with the union veterans and joining with