Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-07-13
THE WORLDS FAIR.

It was the privilege of the writer to
spend a week at the worlds fair at st.
Louis recently. Some Of the things
seen. especially in an agricultural and
horticultural way, may be Of interest
to the readers Of these notes. The
Agricultural building is the largest
building under one roof ever construct
ed in this country, containing twenty
seven acres of floor space. In this
building Is gathered the choicest COL
lection of the worlds agricultural prod
ucts, machinery and allied interests.
The several exhibits made by the diff
ferent states Of the Union are surpass-
ingly fine, not only in the quality and
range of the exhibits themselves, but
In the artistic skill with which they
are displayed. While at the time Of
our visit there were many unfinished
exhibits, we mention a few things
which particularly attracted our atten-
ton. There was the cereal exhibit
from North Dakota-wheat, fax, oats,
barley - the finest quality Of grain
raised in the world; there was the corn
exhibit from Missouri, Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas and Nebraska, fitting repre-
sentation of this most important crop;
cotton and cotton products from the
southern states, all the marvellous pro-
duction of the irrigating states, Colo
RADIO with 500 potatoes averaging four
pounds each and weighing a ton, the
Idaho section presenting the finest IL
lustration of artistic decorative work
with grains and grasses 1t has ever
been our lot to see while the gathered
whole show by themselves. The coast
states have spent money most lavishly
to show to the world their varied and
unrivaled semitropical products, while
American manufactures exhibit tools
and implements Of the finest finish.
Nearly all foreign countries have a
most creditable exhibit in this depart
ment. 1t is intensely interesting to
compare the products and equipment
of the older nations with those Of our
own. Palestine, South Africa and the
Philippines make most interesting ex-
hibits. One fact stands out prominent.
ly-that in whatever land labor is poor
ly paid, because Of its abundance, there
will all tools and machinery be of the
crudest type, proving that high priced
labor begets inventive genius. All for
eign made agricultural tools and ma
chinery are vastly inferior in adapta-
bility, lightness and finish compared
with those made In America. very
interesting section is the German ex-
hibit Of the peat Industry from fuel
standpoint and the scientific reclama-
ton of peat lands. This exhibit alone
should prove worth millions to the
American people, for peat Of the hest
quality abounds, and as yet we do not
know how to utilize it. The horticul.
tural exhibit is not yet at its best, the
showing being necessarily confined to
citrus, cold storage and dried fruits,
which will give place week by week as
the season advances to the fresh fruits
from the orchards The flower scheme
40 dioO do yet anu Wll AVG
seen at its best from July on. Much
interest centers round the competitive
tests being made with the different
breeds of cows. AS illustra ting the
and completeness Of these
experiments we note that out of to-
tai Of 400 Of the best Jersey cows to be
found in the United States, which have
been tested at the station on the
grounds, a selection of twenty-five was
finally made to enter the 100 day but
ter test now under way. The Hol-
stein. Brown Swiss, ShorthOrn and
Ayrshire breeds are competing with
the Jerseys. A month could be most
probably spent by any farmer who
desired to become advanced in his call
ing by studying the exhibits and meth
DDS to be seen In these two depart
ments alone. He will find there an IL
Illustrated encyclopedia Of farm facts
and information and realize as never
before the important relation which his
calling sustains to the welfare Of the
world at large