The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-04-28
LO.TCN NJ LONGER KING.
AN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN THE
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

Lee of the Progress Made in breaking
Up the All-Cotton nIdea---Promise for the
Near Future.
(Washington Letter to the Nr'c York starr
Gen. Stephen D. Lee, president OF
the Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lese Of Mississippi, has been in
the. citv few days. Your CORES
pondenr. knowing that Mississippi has
taken the lead among TIC Southern
States in all organized movement Of
redemption from the cotton speciality
the fetch of the ore crop idea-and
that Gen. Lee, as the head OF the
machinery of that movement, would
be eminently qualified TO speak OF its
achievements and its prospects, called
on him at tie Ebbi:t House. Gen. Lee
was enthusiastic over the outlook for
his adopted State, and readily respond
ed to all linterrogatories The follow
ing is averbatim report CT hisremarkS:
ga revolution is going on III Miss
issippi in diversifyiug her Industries,
especially in the line of agriculture.
Heretofore, and even now, the farming
interests are mainly N the raising OF
cotton and corn, which have restricted
her people to the incubus Of the one
crop-leading to soil exhaustion and
money receipts mainly at one season OF
the wear. MANY Intelligent citizens,
however, have long since abandoned
cotton, and it is now known that
Mississippi is soon destined to be one
of the leading Statesin stock and dairy
farming. These gentlemen have dem
onstraied that the native grasses. such
SIS Bermuda, Japan clover, Johnson
grass, crab grass and other kinds,
Supplemented with the varieties OF
sorehum-or, as kmowni: its dctcrior-
ated shape-ch!cken corn, afford as
great variety OF food for stock, and
of a permanent character, as is given
in any State. 1t is known, too, that
cotton seed is the most valuable food
for cattle, and combined with the
grasses affords better and cheaper food
than can be had anywhere else Ii IS
a fact that cattle in Mississippi have
not been fed until Of late wears. They
made their own living on the commons,
subsistipg on such grass and food as
the country afforded, even III winter.
Itis true they usually got poor during
the three months Of December, Jan
.uary aud February; but in the remain
ing niue months they had ample food
in grazing, the grass afordlng good
grazing from about March l Cat which
time corn is planted) to December -.
In other words, stock is handled read
ilv throughout the year by feeding
them only two and half or three
months, with which slight attention
thev are kept in good fix. Is it itstrange,
then, that Mississippi is stock State,
when at the North feeding is necessary
for four or six months? Eusilage also
is easily prepared and successfully fed
to stock in Mississippi. Among the
gentlemen who have led off III this
Important industry may be mentioned
Col. ". B. Montgomery, of Starkvllle,
VINO has herd of over two hundred
registered jersey cows. In the same
section, or northeast portion of the
State, may be mentioned Col. Col. d.
Muldrow, assistant secretary OF the
interior, John Allen, NJ. 0. Winston
Garth, Mr.. Abbott, Judge Houston,
Mat Mahorner and others. Col. White,
of fernando, Col. Hemmingway, Mr..
0. Deneal, of Jac! son, aud Col. Stuart,
on the Gulf coast. Iu fact there is 10
portion of the State that is not suitable
for stock of some kind.
ssAlong the coast orsouthern tiers Of
counties south OF Meridian and the
Vicksburg Railroad sheep are raised
With great ease, and the recent MiSsis-
sippi exhibit gotten up by Major S. A.
Jonas (inlerior Department. demon
stra,ed that Mississippi had as fine
wool as could be found in the United
States. Market gardening is success
fully carried on throughout the State,
and tie railroads are now furnishing
refrigerator cars for sending vegetables
and fruits to St. Louis, Chicago and
other cities. Around Madison Station
are ma, hundreds Of acres Of straw
berries, and DR.. II. Z. McCay, from
his great success in handling and ship
ping this fruit, is known as the "Straw-
berry King" South of Jackson and
along the illinois Central Railroad is
great vegetable aid fruit region.
Large shipments of peaches, tomatoes,
cabbages, beans, &C., are made every
year. The lumber business of Missis-
sippi is very great. The State as yet
has almost an ineXhaustible supply of
as good timber as is found in the
world, and these valuable forests are
now being bought up by lumber men.
The extensive buildings for the Cotton
Centennial Exposition ct New Orleans
were made of Mississippi pine. The
timber exhibit Of the State at the EX
position attracted great attention. A
great impetus has been given to diver
sifving tho industries OF the State by
the establishment six years ago Of the
Agricultural and Mechanical College
of Mississippi Stockvile. This insti-
tutiontis a genuine agricultural col
lege, and is conducted bv an able
board of trustees and faculty loyal to
the agricultural interests Of the State.
1t has had an average annual attend
ance ofS0O 0Ostudents. During the present
session 4l5 students have attended and
over 500 were refused for lack of
accommodations The college was
located on farm Of LOO acres of
land, much of it made poor bv con-
tinuous cultivation Of cotton and corn.
In few years the farm has been