194 • AIISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT, 



thinking they would go to another state and better their condition. I 

 have known Missourians to leave our State in the last four years, and 

 after they, had looked around for a few weeks, go back to their original 

 vine and shade tree and beg the man that had bought their farms to let 

 them buy them back at an increased price, and when they were refused, 

 sat down and wept. I thank God, as a Missourian, for the World's 

 Fair, if it has done nothing else than to satisfy our own people with 

 our own country and induced them to hold on to it. It has enabled 

 Missouri to make the greatest display of her mineral resources that the 

 world has ever seen. The people of our own State now know more about 

 the possibilities of the mineral output in Missouri than they have here- 

 tofore known, even of the Agricultural output in this State. In the 

 Educational Department, in the Forest, Fisheries and Game, as in all 

 the rest of the departments, no man ever saw from any State or 

 country such a display as was made by Missouri. It enabled the farmers 

 of Missouri to make the greatest Agricultural display that was ever seen 

 or known at any of the great fairs of the world. And I want to say to 

 you that when the Committee on Awards had completed their labors in 

 the Agricultural building they came to me and said: "We have done 

 for Missouri all that it is possible for us to do under the rules of this 

 Exposition, but we realize that we have not done half enough." Half 

 enough. "Because," they said, "Missouri stands here absolutely in a class 

 by herself ; so much so that we, the members of the Group Jury are 

 going to the Superior Jury and ask them to create a special place that 

 Missouri may have some special recognition." I want to say that while 

 the . farmers are responsible for this magnificent display — because we 

 never could have made it in the world if the farmers of Missouri had 

 not responded to our call — I want to say that they were as much sur- 

 prised when they came down there and saw what they had done as any- 

 body else that visited that Exposition. We had on display about three 

 thousand bushels of corn, the equal of which was never collected before 

 under one roof. 



Another thing that the World's Fair has enabled Missouri to do — 

 some of that corn today is in every part of the civilized world. Missouri 

 has corn today growing in South Africa. Early last spring there was a 

 South African Boer farmer who came over to St. Louis to look after 

 improved farm machinery. He came to our space and he greatly ad- 

 mired our corn display. Down llurc they call it "the mealy cob." He 

 said, "It cost England millions of dollars. Our men would have it in 

 their haversacks and when they stopped at night they would grind it 

 up with [\\v\y htlle mills antl vvc would make our gruel with it and would 



