Missouri

Among institutions of higher learning the University of Mis souri at Columbia is the chief one maintained by the State. It was opened to students in 1841, and received aid for the first time from the State in 1867. Women were first admitted to the normal department in 1869, to the academic department in 1870 and soon afterward to all departments. The university attendance in 1936 was in excess of six thousand. Teachers colleges are main tained as follows: at Kirksville (1870), at Warrensburg (1871), at Cape Girardeau (1873), at Springfield (1906), at Maryville (1906), and there is a normal department in connection with the Lincoln university, for negroes, at Jefferson City. Lincoln uni versity (opened in 1866 as Lincoln institute) is for negro men and women. The basis of its endowment was a fund of $6,379 contributed in 1866 by the 62nd and 65th Regiments U.S. Col oured Infantry upon their discharge from the service. Privately endowed colleges within the State in 1936 included 16 senior colleges and universities. Among these schools the greatest is Washington university in St. Louis, opened in 1857.

Charities and Corrections.—The charitable and correctional institutions of the State include hospitals for the insane at Ful ton, St. Joseph, Nevada and Farmington ; a school for the blind at St. Louis ; a school for the deaf at Fulton ; a colony for the feeble minded and epileptic at Marshall; a State sanitorium for tuber cular patients at Mount Vernon ; a home for neglected and de pendent children at Carrollton; a Federal soldiers' home at St. James, and a Confederate soldiers' home at Higginsville ; the penitentiary at Jefferson City ; a training school for boys at Boon 'The Constitution of 1875 limited the State revenue to $.20 on $1oo assessed valuation with the added provision that when the assessed valuation of the State should reach $goo,000,000 the rate should not exceed $.15 on $1oo valuation.

ville; an industrial school for white girls at Chillicothe ; and an industrial home for negro girls at Tipton.

Agriculture and Live Stock.

The State as a whole is de voted predominantly to agriculture, but it is no longer of chief economic importance. The total farm population in 1930 was 1,114,484 or 30.7% of the State's total population. Of the area of the State 79.7% was included, in 1935, in farms (35,055, 000ac.) ; and of this 22,521,000aC. was classified as crop land. The number of farms had increased from 255,940 in 1930 to 278,454, in the average number of acres per farm was 125.9. The number of farms operated by owners increased during 1930-35 from 165,318 to 169,152; tenantry increased from 34.8% to 38.8% during the same period. The aggregate value of all farm income in 1935 was $260,100,000 as compared with $206, 500,000 as the total for crops and live stock in 1934. The table below gives the production and value of the chief crops in 1935 Indian corn and abundant grasses give to Missouri, as to the other central prairie States, a sound basis for her live stock in terests. In 1935 the live stock dairy and poultry products marketed

had an estimated value of $200,900,000. The aggregate total for all farm products in 1935, including farm and pasture crops, wood used on farms and all live stock products, was $260,100,000. Cash income and benefit payments to farmers amounted to $232,700,000.

Mining.—Lead, clay products, cement, coal and building stone were the most important mineral products of Missouri in 1935. In lead production in 1935, Missouri ranked first among the States with a product of 102,180 short tons worth $8,174,500. The lead-producing area is confined mainly to two districts, Franklin, Jefferson and St. Francois counties in south-eastern and Barry, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence and Newton counties in south-western Missouri. The so-called "Joplin district" of south-western Mis souri and south-eastern Kansas produces a considerable part of the zinc mined in the United States. Some silver is found in connection with zinc and lead mining. In 1935 the State ranked third as a producer of raw clays. There are unlimited supplies of clay, shale and limestone, the three essential constituents of Portland cement, and in its manufacture the State ranked ninth in 1935. The cement product for that year was 3,392,0oobbl. valued at over $4,000,000. Coal is produced over a large area ; its pro duction being reported from 27 different counties in the central, northern and western parts of the State. The coal production for 1934 was 3,352,000 net tons valued at $6,278,000. Missouri, in 1935, ranked first among the States as a producer of barytes ($725,000), chiefly from Washington county. In 1935 the total value of mineral production in Missouri was $32,955,000.

Manufactures.

In manufacturing and mechanical pursuits Missouri leads all States west of the Mississippi, California ex cepted. The State's manufacturing activity is greatly diversified as is shown by the 144 separate industrial groups identified by the 1935 census of manufactures. This census showed 3,813 indus trial plants operating within the State, giving employment to 141,176 wage-earners and having an annual product of $881,184, 000. Twelve industries in 1935 had a product valued at more than $10,000,000 each. The value of products manufactured in the industrial areas of St. Louis and Kansas City, in 1933, was The table, next column, gives the Io leading in dustries, based on value, in 1933. One of the exclusive industries of the State is the manufacture of corncob pipes. Missouri pro duces practically the world's supply of these. The main industry is slaughtering and meat packing, for the State is in the centre of a hog-raising area.