The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-13

own bread. And, likewise when we see together with other food producing plants for man and beast, we then know that we can shut the gates of the state and still live well on our home productions.
 The splendid exhibition of dairy cat tle-the mild-eyed Jersey and the fat beef cattle-assures us of comfort profit and the luxuries of the dairy and the larder.
 The exhibition of swine of various breeds. most of them shown by Alaba- mians, and some very fine specimens from Jefferson county, is unusually full and high class.
 nhe housewife has much to be pleased with in the orchard and garden exhibit. The specimens of asparagus, celery and fruits of all kinds point to the time. 1t is hoped, in the not far distant future, when the home grown products will be so plentiful and of just such a fine quality as here shown that we will not need the imported French or the Kalamazoo kinds.
 The. Woman's Department
 Year after year, Mrs John B. Reid, director of the womans department, has developed this feature, annually with some improvement, until now, with it's well ordered system of artistically con- structed and beautifully arranged booths, each 1ettered, it has reached the climax The display of woman's handiwork is so full, complete and varied that 1t IS d maize of beautiful art and practical do- n.estcity. There is a certain refinement of the individual shown in beautiful needlework While it may be said that there Is more or less of the artistic in the temperament and the makeup of most women, often undeveloped, yet in no other way can it find so excellent eX- pression as in the work of her hands which adds to the treasury of the heir looms of the family in beautiful fabrics Some of the greatest treasures in many families are the quilts, the embroderfes, the hand made laces of their grand mothers, unto the third and four gem eration When a woman becomes skilled with her needle, she has made 1t lance of virtue against the devl-a1l be it the old adage that Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to dol" In the art department there are many excellent exhibits by women, some of whom may yet find niche in the hall of fame for their sculptures and for their raintngs.
 We'll has the poet said: Man may live without books, but civilized man cannot live without cooks" From the indices as shown in the varied collections Of the good things from the pantry and the kitchen-almost every ''goodie being shown-the people of Alabama are still holding fast to some of the best things of the past with free negroes to contend with, and yet some of these are excellent cooks. But this is tribute to the thrifty accomplished white women of the south, who, having accepted the changed condi- tions, have gone into the kitchen, as many of their grandmothers had done, direct a servant as to the preparation of certain palatable dishes; also good Dread and those who themselves put their flair hands into the bread trays and bring forth the very best that the art of cooking is capable of producing. The plen of the south may not be so thor Gughly schooled into many the nicieties of life as they should be, but it may be safely stated that the, future of our coun- try is safe so long as women such as we have continue to make homes attrac- tive with all the varied arts of domestic ity.
 The School Exhibits
 The public school exhibits and some of the private schools are very cred itable. l am very much impressed with the exhibit of the woodcraft work of the Bessemer high school in it's training department: some of this work is quite equal to that of the