14 mirSC0 SYSTEM MAGAZINE. rich rewards for his labor. There is no such even though it were cut off from the rest of thing as a total failure of crops in this the world. State. As a forcible illustration of this, see what The agricultural resources of the TJnited States Government statistics have never been over-estimated, and it is show for the year 1903, when Missouri is a plain statement of truth that they equal conlparecl with her sister States: those of any like area, not only in America, She had 233,048 farins, ranking third, but abroad. Special sections may surpass and was fourth in the number of farms Missouri in special products, such as corn, which were free from all encunibrances. wheat, tobacco, cotton ancl so 011, but when She had more apple trees than any otlicr the aggregate of all products, agricultural, State, and as soon as all hcgin bearing, will horticultural and mineral are considered, prodllce the largest crop.

Oat Field, near Sin-inpfirld, No. nostate can claim a greater variety of crops As a live stock raising State, she ranked or more profitable returns for the cultivation fifth; was second in the procl~~ctionof mules, of the land and development of industries fourth in horses and third in hogs. naturally arising from and incident to the In the value of her poultry she stood third farmer's avocation. By reason of its cotton, and was fourth in producing eggs, S5,203,290, corn, hemp ancl flax fields, the high grade dozen being placed to her credit. In turkeys of its cereals, its numerous varieties of fruits and geese she was second, atld third in clucks. and vegetables, its large acreage of excellent She produced 4,492,175 poulids of honey, timber lands and its almost exhaustless ranking third, and 75,670 pounds of bees wax, deposits of zinc, lead, coal and iron, Mis- ranking second. souri is in a position to sustain double its In 1902, Missouri held the record for the present population in comfort and luxury, production of corn, and apple crops, the FRISCO SYSTEM MAGAZINE.

latter of which she will probably surpass acres of rich ancl undeveloped lands in this year. this most prosperous ofSouthwesternStates. In the gross value of her manufactured There is no intention here to institute products she ranked seventh, and was first too rigid comparisons in favor of Missouri in the niannfacturc of tobacco, second in as against her sister States less fortunately situated, but it is at least strange and beyond reason to explain why so many thousands of irninigrants and prospective scttlers will allow tl~einselves to be borne through, or around the borders of this fertile State to lands barren and arid, hundreds of rniles away to the far West ancl North. A few seasons amidst the hardships endured in those climes are sufficient to convince them that their toil and energy have been spent in vain. They find that thousands have encounterccl the samc fatc, and that sooner or latter it is necessary for them to inove and bcgin anew in a land wherc conditions Picking Sf ramberries. are more favorable. Much has been said and written about the babbitt ineta1 and third in clay prod~icts. of Missouri and adverse critics have Shcwas the first Slate in theinnnufactureof not hesitated to proclaim that it is as hot street cars, fifth in general cars, fifth in in summer and as cold in winter as in any manulacture of confectionery, slaughtering other State on the map. 'raking a day and meat packing and sixth in printing and here and a day there during each 'of the publishing. seasons as a premise, these critics have In boot and shoe manufacturing, flour and proceeded Lo draw general conclusions. grist products, clothing and bread, distilled Now what do the actual figures show? malt and vinous products, she ranked Surely the United States Go\wnment seventh and eighth. Her zinc and lead mines are uneclualed by any in the world; wl~ilecoal is mined in the greatcst abundance. In 1902, the output of zinc ore was 232,058 tons, which sold for $6,975,322; lead ore 126,148 tons, which \old lor $5,308,076 The value of the coal output for the same year was $6,5dCiJS22 In connection with this excellent showing, it must be stated that all the farms in Missouri at present cover in round figures 34,000,000 acres, of which 23,000,000 acres are improvcd Iand As already stated, Pumpkin the total acreage of the State in round figures is 44,000,000 acrrs If then the soil Weather Bureau was not established to and climatic conditions arc such that he conceal or distort facts. When it was con- who tills adtoils call produce such rnagnifi- cluded to hold the great World's Fair at cenl results, what a field for industry, thrift St. Louis, up went a howl from the dis- and enterprise is still open to the home- gruntled that the heat was too excessive. seeker and home inaker in the millions of To refute this the weather bureau was called 16 FRISCO SYSTEM MAGAZINE. upon to ,.furnish figures based upon daily Now take the figures as given by the observations for thirtv-three years. These United States Weather Bureau as the result figures showed the normal temperature of ten years observation at Springfield, Mo.

Southern Missouri Scene. ey -> .- e -. ------.- from the end of April to the first of Decein- the radiating point of the Frisco System in ber to have been as follows at St. Louis: the State, and the center of the famous May O66.1, June O75.4, July Q79.4, August Ozark region : O77.6, September O70.2, October O55.7, and The average temperature for a ten year November O44.3. To show how close these period was 55 degrees. The highest tem- normals are to any one year, here are the perature during ten years was 102 degrees. figures for the same months during 1903: The lowest temperature during a ten year May O71.8, June O74.2, July %0.3, August period was 17 degrees below zero, and that 076.4, September O66.4, October O62.2 and for one day. November O54.3. The average number of days, taking a ten For the present year all who have visited year period, on which the teinperature the World's Fair can testify that during ranged above 90 degrees was 15; above 100 May, June, July and August the weather degrees, one. The temperature has been was delightfully cool and refreshing, and below zero, taking a ten year period, nine the normals even below those given above, times.

Unimproved Fruit Land FRISCO SYSTEM MAGAZINE. 17

The annual rainfall was 45.05 inches. State where a drought isanunknown factor The average number of clear days, taking in farming. a ten year period, was 125; partly cloudy The figures and statistics given in the 141; absolutely cloudy, 96. The prevailing foregoing paragraphs are conclusive evi- winds were from the Southwest, 'and calm dence that the climate is ideal for agricul- has been absorved only 126 times during tural pursuits, and may properly be iol- a ten year period, two observations being lowed with a few remarks on the bounteous taken daily. The average date of the last supply of pure water. It is conservative killing frost in the spring was April 8th) to say that no part of the world is better and the average date of the first killing watered than this State. In all parts and frost in autumn, October 10th. The first directions it is traversed by rivers and ' snow fell about November 26th, and the creeks, the majority of which flow over last about March 26th. The average snow- sand aiid gravel beds, the water being pure,

I Sullivan Home, built in 1808. Sullivan, Mo. fall has been but little above eight in- clear and cool. In addition to the larger ches. water supplies, should be mentioned the What better showing than this can be springs, as they are of almost equal im- demanded by the farmer? The summers portance. Probably these latter are more are seldom attended by a prolonged .perid profuse in the Southern part of the State, of excessive heat and the winters are usually where at least one is found on nearly every short and mild, with just enough severe farm, and from a health and comfort stand- cold weather to kill and destroy nosious point alone a volume could be written re- germs, purify the air and render the soil garding them, as they not only furnish a ripe for cultivation in thespring. Droughts limitless supply of the purest drinking water, occur seldom, and must pervade the entire but in a great many cases serve the purpose country before affecting this territory, and of an ice house or refrigerator. It is in even then there are certain parts of the the spring house that the housewife keeps IS FRlSCO SYSTEM MAG- the niilk, butter and eggs cool and fresh; iielcl as 3 central point, it reaches St. Louij, in fact, no one feature of the i\Iissouri farm City, h'lonctt, Pierce City, Carthage, is of more importance to health ancl com- Joplin, Neosho, Rolla, Lebanon, Aurora, fort than the spring. Greenfield, \Villow Spriilgs, West Plriins, From a geological standpoint, the p!lysi- Thaycr, ~arrisonville,Clinton, Salem, Cape cal features of Missouri give it a large varicty Girardcau, Keniiett and Caruthersville. The of soils, naturally incident to thc towering road crosscs and recrosses 41 counties and hills of the Ozarks, valleys, prairies and runs adjacent to twice as many morc. meadows, ancl the bottom lands along the From St. Louis to theSouthwestern portion shores of thc many rivers which flow through of the State the Frisco System passes through the State. The hlississippi Rivcr on the the Counties of St. Louis, Franklin. Craw- East, the Missouri almost bisecting the ford, Phclp, Dent, Pulaski, Lacledc, IVebstcr, State, with their numerotis tributory streams, Green, Dade, Lanlrence, Barry, Newton, smaller rivers and creeks, furnish ail ah- Jasper ancl McDonald. From Kansas Citv dant supply of to Springfield it water at all sea- passes t 11 r o u g 11 sons. The rich soil Jackson, Cass, of tllc prairie lands Henry, St. Clair, give large yield Hickory, Polk and of corn and the Green Counties, smaller grains. The and from Spring- alluvial soil with field to Thaycr liine and sand as a through Greene, basis have been Christian, Webster, enriched by suc- Wright, Texas, cessive inundations Howell and Ore- and decayed veg- gon; lroin Willow etation to such an Springs in Howell estent that the County East fertility is seem- through Shannon, ingly exhaustless. Branch of Elberl.a Peach Tlee. Carter and Wayne The rolling lands and South through in the southwestern part of the State, Butler. In the Southrastern section of the iich in coal and minerals, are hkenise State it traverses Pemiscot, Duuklin, Stod- capable of the highest cultivation and dard, , New Madrid, Scott, Cape produce large clops of wheat, corn, Girardeau, T'erry, Stc. Genevieve and Jeffc-r- hay, oats, harlt-y, potatoes and other vege- son Counties. tables, also affording excellent pasturage. A glance at the map then will ehow that Limestonc, lime and iron are the basis of the Frisco System has diagonal lines across the soil which is always prod~lctive. 111 the larger and more fertile sections of the elevated lands sandstone aid magnesian Missouri, with a number of diverging branch limestone form the basis, and are ideal spots lines, which touch the more important -or orchards and vineyards. industrial and agricultural centers. Not- The variety of crops grown on these lands withstanding that there has been a heavy is in keeping with the variety of the soil, influx of inlmigrant settlers and hon~eseekers and their abundance is limited only by the to points along the Frisco System within energy and industry of the farmer. the past three years, the superior advantages No railroad or systtm of railroads has ofTered in thc prices of thousands of acres done more to\\w-cls the development of the of valuablc improved and unilnprovrd land natural resources of I\Iissouri than the has the effect of turning the eyes of the farmer Frisco System. Branching out from Spring- and stocknian, the fruit grower and lumber-