University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-05-03
A Tribute to Missouri

(Wf7tt00 1Of tne VnlVeTSlty WIFE
sourian by Judge j. NJ. Lowe Of Kan
q City, President Of the NatiOna
Old Trails Road AssOciatiOn.)
1t may be true that Missouri doe
not advertise as she should, neve
spreads her wares before q curiou
public, nor yet does she herald he
misfortune, when she has any, il
order that she may attract attention
Possibly she is a little too modest o.
self centered-slOw, her critics woult
say-but she does not hunt gam
with a brass band" and is general!
there with the goods" while other!
are still discussing ways and means
Her euIogists have been held up t.
ridicule for rating her as an I'm
perial Commonwealth" but she
makes good all that can be said il
her praise.
Among such a wealth of riches il
becomes embarrassing to choose what
to mention and which to leave out
but no summary, however brief
should fail to mention as first among
her jewels her splendid seat of learn.
iag-the State University-and par
ticularIy should be mentioned the
Agricultural College. No state has
q better one nor one doing a greater
service. This department alone is
doing more to demonstrate the states
u than any other agency.
1t has accomplished greater results
with less money than any similar in
stitution in this country. If the
people knew what a splendid work Is
being done, what magnificent and real
empire building is going on at Co.
lumbia. the appropriations for its
sustenance would place her Univer-
sity beyond the reach of necessary
apology or calumnious criticism.
OF her vast and varied material
resources We can only mention q
few. leaving many of almost equal
Importance unmentioned. She leads
all the states in the number of fruit
trees, yet this fact is seldom men,
toned. She has the largest nursery
in the world. In poultry she ex-
ceeds any other state, her wealth
from this source amounting to near
ly $4,000, 900 annually. No wonder
the Missouri hen is a theme of poetry
and song. She mines more zinc and
lead than any other state. She leads
in the production Of cobalt and ba-
rytes. She grows more corn and
cotton combined than any other
state; and these are the two princi-
pal crops grown in this country. If
corn is King, cotton is the Queen of
crops.
She has one county that ships more
Strawberries than any other county
in America, while two of her coun-
ties produce more corn than is
grown in twelve other states COM
bined. She leads all the states in
mules, save Texas, and Texas covers
all of one corner of the United States.
She ranks fifth in horses, sixth in
cattle, and only the great corn states
of Iowa and Illinois lead her in hogs. i
She ranks third in corn. and is des-
tined to rank first, and then she will
~ frat in houc a1ro 1
Her farms produced in 1911-l
and 1911 was a bad year because Of
the drought-crops worth 1902 .091.-i
$50. Add to this enormous product
Of q single year the value of her live
stock and poultry amounting to $740.-
and we have the staggering
amount Of $1,042,156,535. Her
farms. consisting of 24,52S.000 acres.
are valued. on a 40 per cent basis, at
$1.445.ss2.3ss.
Missouri is one of the few states
constantly increase their yie.c
Of wheat, while most Of the states
show q constant decrease. She also
shows a continual increase in the pro-
auction of corn by more than 200
per cent for the last few years.
largely to her Agricultural
c 1lege. Her possibilities along
these lines are beyond imagination.
And best of all-for this is final
demonstration of real progress and
zeal development-Missouri has i'm
more miles of common roads
the last Eve years with only two
than any other state in
he Union. She has more miles of
in one county than any
,ther county in the United States.
There are more miles Of macadam
Dads in one county of Missouri than
here are in the four states Of Kan
~. Illiaois. Iowa and Arkansas COM
,inod. While other states have been
-----R-- $500 ---t