The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-04
GREATNESS OF THIS sTAIE.

De cO1Il0cQ f1dlHiN 10 ana dE- rcultural possibilities of each of the states to be mentioned. I will first men ton the great state of Alabama.
 I regard Alabama as one of the greatest of the southern states, both from an az rieultural and manufacturing poinA of view. In the discussion of this matter, 1 do not think that I could do better than to repeat what I have said before of this great state, that if a wall was placed around her. she would come as near living from her own resources as any state in the union Put a pipe through this wall to supply her with what tea and coffee she would need, and this with a full development of her agricultural possi- bilities, would place her independent of the world so far as food is concerned for both man and beast.
 If the people of Alabama were forced to a point where they would be compelled to rely upon their own resources. they would find that in the southern part of the state they could grow all their sugar, syrup full line of semi-tropical fruits, well as cottan and large line of for age crops for stock food.
 If d good system of rotation of crops was established in the rolling lands of the state, all the poultry and poultry prod uets, mutton, pork, beef and dairy prod ucts needed could be grown and grown as cheaply here as in any other part of our country. Besides these. all the horses and mules could be grown, all the feed needed for stock and all grain needed for bread for the people could be pro- duced. as well as all the fruits and vege- tables.
 Besides all of these agricultural and horticultural possibilities, the state has within her borders some of as fine tim Der as can be found. an abundance of fine stone for building purposes, so that she can furnish her own building material. In mineral wealth. few states are so we'll favored as is Alabama. She has her fields of coal and her mountains Of rich iron ore so that she can, if forced to, put together her lumber and iron ore in the manufacture of every imple- ment and machine needed and she has the fuel for running all machinery for the manufacture of every article. 1 While Alabama can produce all the food needed for man and beast this is not all, for she can produce the cotton and wool to make clothing for all her people Few states possess so many great advantages or offer better inducements to the capitalists for investments.
 The reception accorded to our President on his recent tour of the south by the citizens of Birmingham, as well as the whole state, showed to the world some thing of the progressive spirit of the con tented and prosperous people of this great state While the President was received in all parts of the south by great crowds and with much enthusiasm. yet 1t can be said for the city of Birmingham that she presented before the President the larg- est, the most intelligent and enthusiastic crowd that he met anywhere on his trip. Such an ovation could come only from a contented and prosperous people, living in a great state. a state possessing all the many advantages outlined above. a state that can be made a great empire within and of itself
 What Alabama needs is more good farm CTS. She should have all her hilly lands set to grass, covered with focks of sheep and herds of dairy cows, with greater di- versification and far better rotation On crops.
 But as have promised to tell our readers something of what is going on in several of our states. I must pass on. However, will not take up all the states. ] The tidelof emigration has been working north and west for years. There are several reasons for thfs,t one being that this section has been more largely adver- tised than has been the south.
 Missouri
 l Missouri, like the state of Alabama, not only has great agricultural possibili- ties, but she, too, has great mineral wealth. Because of this tide of emigra- 1 tiori westward the resources of Missouri
  tural wealth of the state is based upon grass. sclovers. grain. stock. fruits and 1 vegetables. Missouri stands at the head of all states In the production of poultry. ne value of the poultry and poultry 1 products produced in the states in 1904 amounted to s76o00.0oO. Missouri also | leads in the number of apple trees. hay ing 20,000.000 apple trees against New York, which Is second With 17.000, 900. The peach and strawberry industries of the l state are also large. It Is also said of Missouri that if she were walled in she | would be independent of the rest of the i world But this does not apply so well to 1 Missouri as 1t does to Alabama. Alabama can produce all her sugar, rice and cot ton. Missouri, too, can produce some cot ton. but the section adapted to cotton l is small and 1t Is question whether the | state can produce enough cotton for home use and consumption. In the production I of mutton, pork. beef and dairy products Missouri will soon be leader, as she now 1 leads in poultry.
 l In the production Of mules. horses and fine stock generally the state Is one of | the leaders. The fruit and vegetable in- dustries of the state are yet in infancy l and while the state now boasts of having | more apple trees than any other. we ex- pect to see this number of trees more 1 than doubled in the next ten years. The timber and mineral of the state are large | in variety.
 The resources of the state of Iowa come more nearly being developed than any 1 other of western states. Taking 1 everything into consideration, Iowa is the | best of our states. speaking directly from an agricultural point of view. There is 1 less waste land and nearly every acre of | land in the state is productive and can be | cultivated the only exception being a few | acres of bluffs along the rivers. These | are all fine for pasturing and are set to 1 bluegrass. It has always appeared to 1 me that the grass grew more luxuriant 1 and greener in Iowa than in any other i state and there is no question but that | Iowa is the best bluegrass state in the | Union. More value is obtained from blue grass here than in any other state. from l the fact that it remains green nearly the entire year. Besides this. the bluegrass 1 in Iowa grows up. falls down, gets cover | ed with snow and as early in the spring 1 as the snow begins to melt. the grass | which has been growing all winter is I ready for grazing and stock are soon made fat from it. The dry grass Is also l very valuable and nutritious and stock | will keep fat on this as well as on the green grass There is but very short | time when the bluegrass in Iowa is not | in fine condition for grazing, and that is | when 1t is showed under but then it is
 growing under the snow. I made trip
 thousands of acres of bluegrass two feet l long and more than the stock on the | farms could possibly eat.
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