The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1893-06-02
A Michigan Man In Mississippi,

This section OF Jackson county,
Miss, is being rapidly settled BY
northern people from Michigan.
The town derives It's name from the
first original settlers, G. A. and A.
D. Bell, and then its location lying
high and dry and giving a "grand
view" 10 the surrounding country.
The soil is a dark loan that plows
up mellow and the land is practi-
cally clear into which crops could
be put with but very little expense
or previous preparation. The pco
pie who are engaged in what they
call farming, have no idea of farm
ing proper, but pursue the same
course their fathers and grandfaih-
ers did and ere satisfied with this.
Thousands of acres are out to COM
mons and each man who prelends
to farm, cuItivates few acres in q
hallway manner, has a drove OF cat
tie and ponies. the increase of his
herds keeps him in what he un-
doubtedly imagines to be bowling
success. The climate is very fine.
The coldest weather they have here
is as our April weather, without
freezing, and stock seldom has to be
fed through the winter months.
Cattle and sheep are raised by al
lowing them to run Mt will through
the pine timber, calves and lambs
running with the cows and sheep,
and growing up beside them, only
to be caught to receive the brand of
ownership. Hogs, the razor back
variety, run wild in the woods and
fatten upon acorns and wild nuts.
There is mo- such thing here as di-
versifed farming. You fail to see
a we'll titled farm, with the proper
variety of crops growing upon it.
In driving outin the country where
at home you would pass many we'll
titled farms, here you see only oc-
casionally a house with a small
"patch" rs they say under cultiva
tion. The plowing being done with
a small plow and pony, they do not
begin 10 raise enough farm produce
here TO supply the local demand,
and vegetables and farm produce Of
all kinds are shipped in. Straw
berries grow very nicely, yet there
Is not more than a small patch
within ten miles of this town. Irish
potatoes grow nicely here. Oats
will grow we'll. Corn is one Of the
simple crops. 1t is thought by some
that spring wheat can be SUCCESS
fully raised, but no one has tried
the experiment. Pears, grapes and
small fruits of all kinds can be rails
ed with no trouble, but il is not cold
enough for apples. Peaches are
now about the size Of hens eggs.
Oranges and figs grow without any
trouble. Without casting reflec-
tions upon Michigan, and having in
mind plenty OF love for my native
state, but not enough TO blind me,
| think that there IS no more desir-
able place under the canopy OF
Heaven TO pursue the agricultural
calling than here. Houses do not
have TO be built with view to
warmth, but simply for shelter and
one can live in a tent the year
round. There Is no call for expen-
siyc barns. simply an open shed for
shelter Is all that is required, for
age Tor winter feeding if desired can
better be secured in open sheds.
We would say to some OF the croak-
ers up north that are talking about
stopping immigration to the United
States, that if they could see the |
room for them in the south they
would let up. Without drawing at
all upon the Imagination, | say with |
all sincerity, that il you want
farm home, and your means are
small, a home sufficient TO support
you with comparative ease, and on
ly reasonable amount OF labor and
energy, it can be had right here in
Jackson county, Miss, in the Dog
river valley, a stream that is navi-
gable for boats to points beyond
this, over fifty miles from the gull.
My good northern farmer friend,
don't freeze any longer in northern
Michigan, but come south at once.
-B. /. X, in Reed City (Slich.)
Clarion.