The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-04-29
COTTON NJ LONGER KING.
AN INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IN THE
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

heo OF She Progress Mado in breaking |
Up the An-Cotton Idea---Pronise for tho |
Near Future.
Washington Letter to the NrO York Star3
Gen. Stephen d. Lee, president of
the Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lego Of Mississippi, has been in
the city few days. Your CORES
pondent, knowing that Mississippi has
taken the lead among the Southern
States in an organized movement of
redemption from the cotton speciality
the fctich of the one crop idea-and
that Gen. Lee, as the head OF the
machinery of that movement, would
be emincntly qualified to speak of its
achievements and its prospects, called
on him at the Ebbitt House. Gen. Lee
was. enthusiastic over the outlook for
his adopted State, and readily respond
edto all interrogatorics. The follow
ing is averbatim report Gf his remarks:
IA revolution is going on in Miss
issippi in divcrsifyiug her industries,
especially in the line of agricultural
heretofore, aud even now, the farming
interests arc mainly in 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 year. MANY intelligent citizens,
however, have long since abandoned
cotton, and it is now known that
Mississippi is soon destined to be one
ot the leading States in stock and dairy
farming. These gentlemen have dem.
onstrated that the native grasses, such
AS Bermuda, Japun clover, Johnson
grass, crab grass and other kinds,
supplemented with the varieties Of
sorghuln-or, as known in its dcturor-
ated shape chicken corn, afford as
great variety OF food for stock, and
OF II permanent character, rs is given
in any State. 1t is known, too, that
cotton seed is the most valuable food
for cattic, aud combined with The
grasses affords better and cheaper food
than can be had anywhere else. 1t i
fact that cattle in Mississippi have
not been fed until Of .atc years. ThcN
made their own living on the commons,
subsisting on such ,.raSS and TODD as
the country afforded, even in winter.
1t is true they usually got poor during
the three months of December, Jan
uary and February; but in the remain
ing nine months they had ample food
III grazing, the grass atlording good
grazing from about March 1 Cat " hch
time corn is planted) to December Is.
I'M other words, stock is handled read
lily throughout the year 10y feeding
them only two and half or three
months, with which slight attention
they are kept in good fix. Is itstrange,
then, that Mississippi is stock State,
when at the North feeding is necessary
for fOur Or 81 mnpihSo E,c;Io,rn ,Is,,
is easily prepared and successfully fed
to stock i'll Mississippi. Among the
gentlemen who have led off in this
important industry may be mentioned
Col. w. B. Montgomery, Of Starkvillc,
who has herd Of over two hundred
registered Jersey COWS. In the same
section, or northeast portion of the
State, may be mentioned Col. Col. II.
MuldrOw, assistant secretary Of the
interior, John Allen, NJ. O. Winston
Garth, Mr.. Abbott, Judge Houston,
Mat Mahorner and others. Col. White,
of fernando, Col. Hemmingway, Mr..
.. Dencal, of Jact son, and Col Stuart,
on the Gulf coast. In fact there is no
portion Of The State that is not suitable
for stock of some kind.
"Along the coast orsouthcrn 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 Gnlerior dcpartmcnD demon
strated 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 arc 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. e. McCav, 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 Rairoad is
great vegetable I'd fruit region.
Large shipments Of peaches, tomatoes,
cabbagGs, beaus, &c, are made every
year. The lumber business of Missis-
sippi is very great. The State as vet
has almost an ineXhaustible supply of
as good timber as is found i'm the
world, aud these valuable forests arc
now being bought up by lumber men.
The extensive buildings for the Cotton
Centennial Exposition at 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
styling tho industries of tho State by
the establishment six years ago of the
Agricultural and Mechanical COLLEGE
of Mississippi Stockvilc. This insti-
tutlontls genuine agricultural COL
lege, and is conducted bv an able
y board Of trustees and faculty Ioval to
the agricultural interests of the State.
1t has had an average annual attend
ance of3OO students. During the present
session 4l5 students have attended and
over 300 were refused for lack of
accommodations. The college was
located on farm Of LOO acres of
land, much of it made poor by con-
tinuous cultivation of cotton and corn.
In few years the farm has been
brought up to q high state Of cuItiva-
ton, demonstrating that improved
methods and q diversity of CROPS are
peculiarly adapted to the South Bv
Introducing the stock fcoturn