No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 13 



of Lliis writing, ciU'rymg forward the work as ra])i(lly as is possible 

 with the many other duties pressing upon him. Tlie collection that 

 is being- made will be returned from the Exposition to be placed 

 in the contemplated agricultural museum in the new Capitol Build- 

 ing, if the etforts to establish such museum shall prove successful, 

 and so will be of permanent value to the State. 



The Executive Ollicer of the Exposition Commission also re- 

 quested the Secretary to write an article on the Agriculture of 

 Pennsylvania for a publication authorized by the Commission, enti- 

 tled '-'Pennsylvania at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition," which 

 book will be distributed gratuitously at the Pennsylvania Building 

 at the St. Louis Fair. This request was complied with and as the 

 nmtter contained in the article is pertinent to this report, it is 

 here given in full: 



AGRICULTURE OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



Persons unacquainted with Pennsylvania are liable to underrate 

 her position and rank as an agricultural state. The fact that she 

 stands first among the states of the Union in the production of 

 iron and coal and second in the value of her manufactured pro- 

 ducts, naturally leads to the conclusion that but little attention 

 is given to agriculture. Instead of this being true, the thrift of 

 the Pennsylvania farmer is proverbial, and the extent and variety 

 of the crops grown in the "Keystone" State give her a very high 

 rank as an agricultural state. 



A number of ridges or mountains cross the State, diagonally, 

 from the southwest corner to the northeast boundary, which favor- 

 ably affects the climate of certain sections of the State and renders 

 a failure, in farm crops, a thing almost entirely unknown. The soil 

 in the extreme southwest portion of the State is particularly well 

 adapted to the growth of grass. The pasturage of this section is 

 almost equal to the famous Bluegrass region of Kentucky, and, as 

 a result, the farmers of this section turn their attention largely 

 to raising live stock. Many fine cattle, annually, go from these 

 southwestern counties into the coal and coke regions of the western 

 part of the State, where they find an excellent market. Sheep and 

 wool are also numbered among the staple products of this section. 

 The wool products of Greene and Washington counties, alone, in 

 1900, amounted to .^,008,390 pounds, valued at |681,761.90. 



