The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-18
AGRICULTURAL OBSERVATIONS


 For the last few weeks I have had a uable information concerning various crops and will make some scattering notes of what I have seen. In Missouri there Is an unusual activity in the preparation of soil for seeding and good acreage of fall wheat will be sown. However there Is one thing about the wheat crops of tsis state-our farmers as a rule are care less as to the seed used In many cases they seem to be satisfied with cheap seed. and as long as this is true we will never have the great crops of wheat we need and can grow with the proper preparation of the seed bed and by the selection of good seed.
 Passing through tine great corn belt of Illinois, I noticed that corn was suffer- ing for rain. The late corn will be very much damaged. The early corn is prac- tically made, although 1t, too, may be damaged in some localities. The acreage of corn is large, and with good Sep tember weather for development we will have big crop. There are yet in Illinois a few farmers who are growing broom corn and I noticed some very fine crops now ready for harvest. Broom-makers, however. state that they get their best brush from Oklahoma, where the grow ing of broomcorn is one of the main crops. Like flax. broomcorn seems to be grown in new sections.
 I was very much surprised at seeing so many fine peaches in Illinois, and they were to be seen nearly as far north as Chicago. In the vicinity of Chicago they are growing great crops of sugar-beets, stock beets, onions carrots and cabbage, all prOxUinp n OIonfitipq while there seems to be no end of celery.
 Crops In Canada.
 But I want to give our readers some notes on agriculture that I saw in Can ada. It is wonderful country from an agricultural standpoint and a very diff ferent country from our neighbor on the south, Mexico. In fact. one would not know unlehh informed when he crossed the boundary line, for we find the same spirit of enterprise and all the evidences of prosperity that we leave behind m the United States There are great farms well improved and in a high state of cultivation Good houses and good barns are to be seen on nearly all farms. They have the very best of stock-horses, cat tie, hogs, sheep and poultry. The farm CTS here have learned that grass Is the basis of all agricultural wealth, so their farms are covered with grasses and clov- CTS. Canada Is great grin country; that is, for all small grains, but corn does not do so well as 1t does in the states. The season is perhaps too short and the nights too cold. Wheat Is. great crop there, spring wheat being mostly grown. al- though some recent efforts in growing winter wheat have proven quite success full and this season western Canada will produce several million bushels of win ter wheat with very fine quality. Oats and barley are both great crops and rye Is also grown. but not so extensively as in the United States. Canada is great hay-producing country, both tame and wild hay growing in great abundance.
 It has been a long time since I have seen crop of Hungarian grass growing for hay. The German millet has taken it's place in the south and southeast. but in travelling In Canada I saw thousands of acres of this fine grass, nearly all of which is ready for the mower. Here 1t yields abundantly and makes one of the best of feeds Red clover and orchard grass are both grown extensively. The dairy industry is carried on largely and Is one of the most profitable industries for farm work. Fine herds of dairy COWS are to be seen on nearly every farm. These people understand the dairy bus essary amount of work needed to make the business pay Here is an object les son and shows that what we need in the south is more cattle, more milk COWS