The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-23
EXHIBIT WILL BE VERY UNIQUE
  No Private Exhibits; No Land Exploitation STATE IS IN CHARGE Something of the Exhibit That Louis jana Wifi Send To the United States Land and Irriga-
 ton Exposition
STATE IS IN CHARGE
By WALTER PARKER


 New orleans. October 22-In many re- spects the I.ousiana exhibit in the United States Land and Irrigation. exposition to be held al Chicago November IS 10 De- cenlbe, ,, will be unique in the history of such affairs There will be no private exhibits, no land exploitation and no boosting of private enterprises or private interests. The state of Louisiana, in it's official capacity, will be in full charge, and will vouch for the exhibits shown and the information concerning Louisiana that Is supplied the visitors. In order to carry out this idea Governor Sanders has named 9 commission, of which Dr. W. F. Dod- son, president of. the Louisiana State Ag- ric ultural college, is chairman This com mission has full charge of the matter, and with liberal funds at it's command has planned what it is believed will prove, the most elaborate and striking exhibit from any state. s.'t Robert Glenii, curator of the Louisiana State museum, member of the com mission and a man of wide experience in such matters, has planned the Louis iana booth which will occupy the largest space allotted to a state in the Chi cago coliseum. -.fa.r
 The Louisiana state department Of ag- riculture, the State Immigration league, the Louisiana Development league, the Louisiana State Fair association, the State university. the State musem, the boys corn clubs and farmers institutes, and civic and commercial organizations in all parts of the state are cooperating | with the commission, and have combined their efforts to make the exhibit of Louis- ianas agricultural resources the greatest in the states history.
 Tn very recent years, or since the boil weevil opened the eyes of the cotton farm CTS to the economic side of diversifica- ton, the cultivation of cut over pine lands opened up profitable industry in early vegetable and strawberry culture, and the artificial drainage of the wet al l,vial lands impelled fresh attention to tbe delta country, conditions in Louisiana lave undergone a complete metamor- phosis. .' Six years ago Louisiana annually inn ported some 20,0O0, coo bushels ,ofs corn with which to feed her stock. Her eown farm- CTS did not know how to cultivate corn. Farmers institutes have now taught them how, and last year and this Louis iana not only raised corn enough for her | own use, but became an exporter as well, As a result of the boys corn club move- ment, Louisiana boy in December, 1910, won first prize at the National Corn show ] a. Columbus, O., in competition with 46,- 600 other boys, with corn. he had grown on land which had never before produced more than. 20 bushels to the acre. He got l IS bushels per acre at total cost of 13 cents per bushel. - tes
 Many other illustration of the striking changes that have taken place in. Louis- jana during the past few years might be cited For instance, a single town in the pine belt in one season has shipped $50 carloads. averaging 700 crates per car of strawberries grown on cut over pine lands which four years ago were held in little esteem. A cotton farmer who was all put ruined by the boil weevil, turned his cotton lands into potatoes, onions and ether foodstuffs and doubled his profits over the best year he had ever had in cotton before the boll weevil came. A Michigan man last year got 50 tons of sugar can per acre from arti1oially drained land which the. native farmers would not have paid 50 cents an acre for 10 years ago. .p.- sz:a g it-ttt ii
 These are merely incidents in the agri- cultural awakening that has occurred In Louisiana in the last five years. and merely serve to illustrate the broad drift of things. a..
 Many old plantation estates have been cut tip into small farms. and are now being cultivated in 20 and 40 acre tracts by thrifty farmers and their families. In this way the overload or plantation sys- tenn is rapidly disappearing, and enter prising independent farmers are replac- ipg ignorant hired labor ..sf sr
 Louisiana'sr object in giving an exhibit in her official capacity is to make such ar exhibit truly reflect actual conditions freed from all selfish motives. No land will be sold and none offered for sale at Lonisiaua's booth. 1s
 The wisdom of this plan becomes ap- parent when it is known that the state itself has taken the lead in bringing about the change from lethargic prosper fly under a mild climate and prolific soil, to active enterprise in all movements looking to general development and az rtcultural expansion along the most whole some lines.
 By constitutional amendment the state has exempted all money invested in the development of land from all forms of state, parish (county) and municipal tax ation, and has provided q safe and prac- tical way to induce such investment cap ital to come into the state by authorizing the issuance and sale of well protected district public Improvement heIlds. The state has also provided for the. destruc- tion of mosquitoes. for the building of modern highways at the expense of the state, prohibited public drinking cups and expectorsting in public. and has done many other things .of an advanced char aoter Joking to the general good. ,l.a
 Tn She great. scheme of statewide de