LIVE STOCK BREEDERS. 77 



RESPONSE TO ADDRESS OF WELCOME IN BEHALF OF 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



(By Hon. Alex. INIaitland, Riclinioiul, Mo.) 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen : 



As a representative of the State Board of Agriculture, I wish 

 to say that we are very much pleased with the hearty welcome ex- 

 tended to us by his honor, the mayor, and although this is, I believe, 

 about our first meeting in Southern Missouri we are pleased with 

 \\hat \vc have seen, and we thank you for your welcome to this Queen 

 City of the Ozarks. 



In calling 3'our attention to the work of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, I will say that its work is being gradually enlarged, every 

 year adding more and more as the growth of our State proceeds. Some 

 years ago we had the crop reports and to that has been added the 

 veterinary service, and to that has been added the farmers' institutes 

 and to that added another feature which I had almost forgotten — 

 the State Fair. 



In regard to these various matters — we take up for instance the 

 work of the crop reports. Our Secretary has in every county in the 

 State one or more correspondents selected from the very best farmers 

 of the various counties who report to him the condition of the crops 

 in their various localities. LTpon this basis he formulates a report of 

 the whole State which has brought our present Secretary great credit, 

 as his report is considered by the Grain Dealers' Journal, which is 

 the great grain journal of the United States, as superior to even the 

 Government report, which is a great credit to the Secretary of the 

 Missouri .State Board of Agriculture. 



Dr. Casey spoke of the immense value of the poultry industry 

 in the State, not only in the State but in the nation. We appreciate 

 his figures very much, but we want to say to him that the crop report 

 shows the whcre-with-all to feed this poultry. It takes a wonderful 

 amount up in my cribs at home to feed poultry and Missouri this 

 year, according to the crop reports, has raised a sufficiency of corn 

 and wheat and oats to feed all that vast amount of poultry and give 

 his honor a new supply of eggs. Our corn crop this year is second 

 only to that of Illinois. In average yield per acre we are first in the 

 United States, but in total product we are second, I believe, to Illi- 

 nois, which has a total product of 314,000,000 bushels, while our total 



