Agriculture. In the former there was abundant evidence that Illinois is
primarily a mining State, while the latter wholly contradicted this
notion. As a matter of fact, Illinois ranks second to Pennsylvania in
the production of coal, and its quarries yield a fine quality of both
sand and lime stone. The booth in the Palace of Mines contained the
largest block of soft coal ever removed from a mine. It was 6 by 7 by 8
feet in size and was hoisted 335 feet from the shaft. In the coal
exhibit there were specimens of the product of over 50 mines, with
chemical analyses showing their respective heating elements.

There was a large display of the clay industry of the State, including
bricks, tile, and pottery. In addition there were shown splendid
specimens of fluorspar, lead, and zinc.

In the Palace of Horticulture there was an extensive table exhibit of
fresh fruit, especially of apples and the more ephemeral fruits, such as
berries and plums. However, the best display of all was in the Palace of
Agriculture. In the cold-storage case in the dairy section were two
exceptionally good pieces of butter sculpture. They were the busts of
those two great Illinoisans--Lincoln and Grant.

The most striking feature of the great corn pavilion was an enormous
broom, that was typical both of the production of broom corn and of the
State's broom industry. In the corners were small ornamental booths made
entirely of the native woods of the State. One of these was used as an
office by the secretary. There were several excellent pictures made of
various grains. Among the grain pictures were three that were worthy to
stand together. They were President Lincoln, Governor Yates, and the
great seal of the State.

By far the largest and most significant part of the exhibit was the
collection of samples of corn planted, cultivated, and harvested by
boys. The League of Corn Growers numbered 8,000 members, and there were
1,100 prizes each year, the first being $500. Each boy submitted 10 ears
of corn from his own patch, together with an account of his experiences
and method. The prize winners attached their photographs to the little
pyramids of 10 ears of fine corn. For the farming industry of the State
it was felt that nothing could possibly be better than this annual
contest. The boy is taught to look upon the scientific cultivation of
the soil as something worthy his best effort. That in which he takes a
personal pride ceases to be drudgery