MISSOURI 



3857 



MISSOURI 



mysterious caves. The attractive scenery, 

 healthful climate and medicinal springs of the 

 region have made it one of the most popular 

 resorts of the Middle West. Among the well- 

 known mineral watering places are Excelsior, 

 Pertle and Sweet springs. 



The extreme southwestern corner of the state 

 is a wooded table-land, and in the southeastern 

 section there are fertile lowlands, dotted with 

 many swamps, shallow lakes and deep forests. 

 In 1914 a land reclamation act was passed pro- 

 viding for the drainage and cultivation of these 

 southern swamp lands. 



Rivers and Lakes. Although there are no 

 large lakes, Missouri ranks first among the 

 states in the extent of navigable rivers, and to 

 these the state owes much of its industrial and 

 commercial importance. With the Mississippi, 

 that great central artery of the river traffic of 

 Central United States, extending the length of 

 its eastern border, and crossed by the swift Mis- 

 souri, the second river of the country, Missouri 

 has become the center of the river traffic of the 

 West-Central states. The Wyaconda and Salt 

 rivers, draining the northeastern section; the 

 Meramec, rising in the Ozarks; and the Saint 

 Francis, forming the western boundary of the 



southern strip of the state, are other important 

 affluents of the "Father of Waters." The Mis- 

 souri is also fed by many large tributaries, 

 among which are the Platte, Grande Chariton, 

 Osage, Gasconade and Lamine. The White and 

 Black rivers, entering the southwest mountain 

 region, are tributary to the Arkansas. 



Climate. Lying far from the moderating in- 

 fluence of the sea and the Great Lakes, Mis- 

 souri has a climate marked by extremes of heat 

 and cold. The Ozark Mountains, though affect- 

 ing the temperature locally, are not high enough 

 to afford protection to the whole state from the 

 west winds. In the summer months, the moun- 

 tains offer the only relief from the heat of the 

 prairies and lowlands. During some winters, 

 the temperature rarely falls below zero and 

 only once in four or five years does the Missis- 

 sippi at Saint Louis freeze over ; even then it is 

 partly due to the floating ice from the north. 

 The Missouri, however, is often closed by ice 

 during the winter months. The average tem- 

 perature is 33 in winter and in the summer 

 77. The rainfall, ranging from thirty-five 

 inches in the north to fifty inches on the south- 

 ern border, is abundant in all parts of the 

 state. 



Resources and Industry 



Agriculture. The diversified character of the 

 surface and soil makes it possible to grow many 

 kinds of crops in the state, and according to the 

 last official census Missouri ranks sixth among 

 the states in the value of crops. The cereals, 

 grown chiefly in the well-watered fields of the 

 north and northwest sections, are the chief 

 crops. Corn is the most important of these, 

 and in its production Missouri closely follows 

 Nebraska, a state which is surpassed only by 

 Illinois and Iowa. In 1915 the output of corn 

 was 209,450,000 bushels, valued at $119,386,000. 

 Wheat is second in importance and the average 

 production is well over 30,000,000 bushels. Mis- 

 souri wheat is of -an especially fine variety and 

 the flour made from it is in high demand in 

 both domestic and foreign markets. Potatoes, 

 sorghum, hay, oats, rye and tobacco are other 

 large crops, and cotton is raised in the south- 

 eastern section. 



All varieties of fruit can be successfully cul- 

 tivated and are of a fine quality. Apples and 

 peaches grow in all parts of the state, and in 

 addition to these and other Northern fruits, as 

 the pear, plum and cherry, the more tender 

 fruits, such as nectarines and apricots, are 

 242 



grown. Small fruits are important, and Mis- 

 souri leads all of the states in the production of 

 blackberries and dewberries. There are many 

 varieties of cultivated grapes, and six native' 

 kinds are found in luxuriant growth; no state, 

 not even California, surpasses Missouri in the 

 quality of its red and white wines. 



More than three-fourths of the approximate 

 land area is in farms, and over one-half of the 

 total area is improved land. In 1915 the state 

 provided for a state land bank to loan money 

 on farm lands up to fifty per cent of their value 

 for five to twenty years. 



Stock Raising. The central prairies, covered 

 with blue grass, timothy, and red and white 

 clover, are especially suited to fine stock rais- 

 ing; Missouri ranks among the leading live- 

 stock states. In the raising of mules the state 

 is surpassed only by Texas. Missouri mules are 

 known everywhere for their superior quality. 

 The cheapness of Indian corn and the prox- 

 imity of the great markets at Kansas City and 

 Saint Joseph make the raising of hogs and 

 cattle especially profitable in the northwest, 

 and in the production of swine Missouri is 

 about on a par with Illinois, which is sur- 



