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part of November, and has been known to remain firmly bridged over into the first week of March.

The climate of Missouri is, on the whole, a dry one, with strong evaporation, and an atmosphere but rarely overloaded with moisture.

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Our summer rains mostly descend with great abundance, and in a comparatively short time, so that the average (13 inches) of summer rain falls in 70 hours, distributed over twenty-four days, while the 7 inches of winter rain (and snow) descend in 160 hours and on 22 days. The days on which it rains vary between 68 and 115 in the year. On the average we have 92 days in the year on which it rains. Our rains last from a fraction of an hour to a few hours, and very rarely extend through the 24 hours.

Snow is rather scarce in our climate, and rarely continually covers the ground for more than a few days or a week. In some years, it amounted, when melted to 5 inches; in others to only one-half inch; the average is about 24 inches.

The atmospherical pressure (indicated by the stage of the barometer) is with us, in summer, more uniform and regular than on the Atlantic coast, while in winter it fluctuates considerably, and often very rapidly. The average barometrical pressure is highest in January, falls till May, and gradually rises again until January; it is most variable from November to March, and least so from June to August.

HEALTHFULNESS OF THE STATE.

Authentic reports to the Health Board of St. Louis is have shown that the annual sickness rate of the city of St. Louis about seventeen and a half days to each member of the population. Dr. Boardman, of Boston, has ascertained the sickness rate of the city of Boston to be about twentyfour days of annual sickness to each individual. The general correctness of these conclusions are further substantiated by army statistics. Dr. Playfair, of England, after careful inquiry, computed the ratio of one death to twenty-eight cases of sickness in a mixed population.

The state of Massachusetts has for many years had a state board of Health, by whom sanitary improvements have been diligently and scien tifically prosecuted, under state authority; and the annual death-rate has thereby been somewhat reduced. In 1870 Massachusetts had a population of 1,457,351 and there were during the same period 25,859 deaths from all causes. A mortality equal to 1.77 per cent of the population. At

the same time Missouri had a population of 1,721,295, and there were during that year 27,982 deaths from all causes. A mortality rate equivalent to 1.63 per cent. of the population. It thus appears, if the calculation is made and the relative proportion between the populations and the death rates of the two states maintained, that vital security is greater in Missouri, as compared with Massachusetts, to an extent represented by the annual saving of 2,474 lives. But this is not all. The authorities on vital statistics estimate that two persons are constantly sick for every one that dies; and Dr. Jarvis shows, from the experience of health-assurance companies in this country, that on an average each person loses from 19 to 20 days per year by sickness. Then we have this result: Two persons sick to one death, equal 4,948, multiplied by 20, gives 98,960 days per year less of sickness in Missouri than in Massachusetts, in proportion to population. Then reckon the amount of care and anxiety and suffering and the loss of time, and cost for nursing and medicines and doctor's billsand you will begin to get some idea of what these figures really mean, in favor of our state, with its dry, salubrious climate, in comparison with Massachusetts, the only other state for which the figures were at hand to make the comparison.

AGRICULTURE.

The Missouri state board of agriculture was created a body corporate by statute, in 1877, and it was provided that the governor, the state superintendent of schools, the president of the state university and the dean of the state agricultural college, should be ex-officio members of the board. The officers of the secretary and treasurer are required to be at the agricultural college, at Columbia, in Boone county; and the annual meetings are to be held there, on the first Wednesday of November in each year. The presidents or duly authorized delegates of county agricultural societies, are rightful members of the state board, "for deliberation and consultation as to the wants, prospects and condition of the agricultural interests of the state, to receive the reports of district and county societies, and to fill by elections all vacancies in the board."

The law further provides that, "It shall be the duty of all agricultural and horticultural societies, organized and established in accordance with the laws of this state, to make a full report of their transactions to the Missouri state board of agriculture, at each annual meeting thereof."

The state board is required "to make an annual report to the general assembly of the state, embracing the proceedings of the board for the past year, and an abstract of the reports and proceedings of the several agricultural and horticultural societies, as well as a general view of the condition of agriculture and horticulture throughout the state, accompanied by such recommendations, including especially such a system of

public instruction upon those subjects as may be deemed interesting and useful." Provision is then made for printing fourteen thousand copies (two thousand in the German language), for distribution to all who will use

them.

OUR STAPLE CROPS.

First of all the crops grown in the state, in amount and value, is Indian corn. There is not a county in the state in which it is not successfully and profitably grown. The broad alluvial bottoms along our great rivers yield immense crops of this valuable cereal, and our fertile prairies are but little, if any, behind them in their yield.

Next in importance among the cereals is wheat, which grows and yields well in every part of the state. Except in a few northern counties, spring wheat is but little grown, the main attention being bestowed upon the winter varieties, which are especially a favorite crop upon the loess and clay loams, and upon the oak uplands of the state. The well known fact that the best flour to stand transportation and exposure in hot and humid climates, is made from wheat grown toward the southern border of the wheat zone, has made Missouri flour a favorite for shipment to South American markets. Flour made in Missouri, from Missouri wheat, won the Medal of Merit at the World's Exposition, at Vienna, in 1873. The average yield and the certainty of the wheat crop in Missouri, give the state a high rank among the states producing this cereal.

Oats grow and yield well in the state, producing heavy straw, plump and heavy grains; but the crop does not figure very largely in our markets, being mainly grown for home consumption.

Tobacco, of two or three varieties, grows well, and Missouri tobacco enjoys a fine reputation for excellence. The state embraces some of the best tobacco lands in the country. It is a staple in nearly every county in the state, and some of the counties make it a leading crop. Missouri ranks sixth in its production.

Cotton, except in small patches for home use, is raised only in the southern counties of the state. Stoddard, Scott, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Dunklin, Mississippi and Lawrence, all raise more or less for shipment, and, in some of the counties named, it is an important crop.

Potatoes grow well, and on most of our soils yield large crops. They are of fine quality generally.

Sweet Potatoes grow upon our sandy soils to great size and excellence, and our farmers raise a great abundance for home use, and the city markets are always well supplied.

Sorghum, and other varieties of the Chinese sugar cane, are extensively grown, and many thousands of gallons of syrup are annually made for home use. Recent improvements in manufacturing sugar from these

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syrups bid fair to increase the value and importance of this branch of husbandry.

Broom Corn is extensively grown in Missouri, and the brush being longer and finer than that grown in the eastern states, commands a much better price in market.

Buckwheat, Castor Beans, White Beans, Peas and Hops, are all successfully grown and made profitable crops.

Garden Vegetables are produced in great profusion and variety, and the more arid regions of western Kansas and New Mexico, and the mining districts of Colorado, afford an ever-increasing market for these and other agricultural products from our state. Watermelons, muskmelons, etc., grow to great perfection, and are shipped in large quantities from some portions of the state to cities farther north.

The U. S. forestry statistics of 1875, give Missouri 21,707,220 acres of land in farms; 20,116,786 acres not in farms; of wood land in farms there were 8,965,229 acres, and the total woodlands in, the state was reported as 19,623,619 acres.

There is a curious bit of agricultural history which illustrates the rapid development of the western country, and at the same time shows, by the inevitable logic of events already transpired, the magnificent position of Missouri as the greatest wheat center on the globe. In 1849 the center of the wheat product of the United States was the meridian of 81° west of Greenwich, passing north and south through the eastern border counties of Ohio. In 1859 that line had moved westward a little more than two degrees of longitude, and passed through the eastern border counties of Indiana, the city of Fort Wayne being on the line. In 1869 the wheat center had moved not quite two degrees further west, and was that year a few miles west of Chicago and Milwaukee; and the center of our National corn crop was on the same line at this time. In 1877 this line had moved still further west, and was now represented by a line drawn on a map of the United States from Marquette, on Lake Superior, down through Janesville, Wisconsin, and through Mendota, LaSalle, Vandalia and Cairo, in Illinois. The corn center will not move much if any further west; but the wheat center, by reason of the rapid development of this crop in Minnesota, Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, is now, in 1881, as far west as St. Louis; and it will not be likely to migrate further than Jefferson City at any time in the future, because there is no important wheatgrowing territory further west still unoccupied. The new settlements westward must be chiefly by mining and manufacturing peoples, hence, consumers rather than producers of the great cereal crops.

The conclusion of the whole matter, then, is that St. Louis is now, and will for several decades continue to be, practically on the center line of the aggregate product of wheat and corn in the United States, propor

tioned from east to west limits of the national domain. And this fact assures Missouri of pre-eminent commercial rank among the grand sisterhood of states.

The following table shows the number of pounds weight which constitute a lawful bushel in Missouri, of the different articles named, as established in 1879:

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The standard bushel for coke and charcoal is to contain 2,680 cubic inches; apple barrels, length, 28 inches; chines, of an inch at ends; diameter of head, 17 inches; inside diameter at the center of the barrel, 20 inches.

HORTICULTURE.

The state horticultural society was organized in January, 1859, and has kept up its annual meetings in spite of all difficulties. Each congressional district of the state is classed as a separate horticultural district, and is represented in the society by a vice-president, who is expected to keep himself posted on the interests of this industry in his district, and make report (or procure some one to do it), at the annual meeting. The officers of this society for 1880, were: President, Hon. Norman J. Colman, St. Louis; Vice Presidents: 1st congressional district, H. Michel, St. Louis; 2d, Dr. C. W. Spaulding, Cliff Cave; 3d, J. Rhodes, Bridgeton; 4th, H. D. Wilson, Cape Girardeau; 5th, W. S. Jewett, Crystal City; 6th, M.

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