Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1894-02-15

stone, our climate is mild and genial
neither the scorching rays of torrid
sun, nor the freezing blasts of north
ern winds, destroy the labor of the
husbandman. No season is too
warm to work in the open air, and
none so cold that the farmer is kept
within doors for weeks at time.
SHEEP HUsBANDRY.
Sheep hasbandry for market has
never claimed the attention of our
people, but every farmer of any
prominence owned from fifty to one
hundred head for family use, for
wool and mutton. These sheep run
through the woods at large and re-
cleved no attention from their own
ers, except to salt them and clip the
wool from them. AS to feed, they
made their own living or the COM
mon range, where the wild grasses
grow thick and are never exhausted
by heat, drouth. or the many thous.
and stock which feed there. From
, the middle of March until the first
of December. the old field. furnish
the finest of pastures Sheep are
perfectly free from disease here.
None have to be dipped for scab or
ticks. This is truly the home of the
sheep, none better. The price Of
common sheep is from 81 so to So
the carcass weighing from 80 to 80
pounds. A cross direct of Cotswold
or Soutbdown and .natives gives
large carcass and great quantity
of wool. This cross an the native
sheep we can produce breed of
sheep healthier and better suited to
our climate soil and pasturage than
any of the improved breeds. Tho
half bloods are worth double their
dams. Sheep raising offers source OF
profit unsurpassed in any State.
All breeds can be raised in perfect
health. almost without feed and care,
and the yield of wool is Of fine quail.
ity. The raising of lambs for early
markets of tho North and west, of
itself alone opens up aew and re-
munerauve field ofpursuit.
STOCK RAISING AND DAIRYING.
Cattle like sheep do well here, ma
tive cows sell from So to Is dollars
per head and weigh from $50 to 800
los neat. The Jersey and short
horn thrive in our climate and pro
duce large quantities OF purest gol.
den yellow butter of the finest fla
vor. The celebrated blue grass re-
glons of KY. cannot excel It. The
large quantities of root crops and
various kinds of forage raised and
the large flow OF pure sweet water
offer great inducement to dairying
industries as the demand for butter
to supply our markets is always
good.
RAISING OF HOGS.
This is an industry that is sadly
neglected, that of raising pork for
market. The hog Is neglected and
allowed to run loose in the woods
and make their living from nuts,
acorDs, wild berries etc. 1t is not
an uncommon thing TO take hogs
from the wooos and after being
dressed will weigh from 200 to $50
pounds. Hogs can be raised in this
county at verv little expense of feed
ing corn. Sweet potatoes and stock
peas can be raised at very little ex-
pense and labor and by turning the
hogs in the field and let them gather
the peas and potatoes they will not
need to be ted corn. Ten acres
should fatten at least 100 hogs ready
for market. There is fine OPEN
ing here for an industry of this kind
as ready sale can be found for
large lots at good prices.
VEGETABLE CROP.
Daring the last four years more
attention has been paid to the cuIti-
vation of vegetables and fruit, and
the result has been SO satisfactory
that there appears great disposition
to largely develop this branch of
industry. The cultivation of Irish
potatoes is drawing attention as two
crops can be raised in one year
first croD can be planted as early as
December and February and mature
in May and June and plant again in
June and July for fall crop. Early
vegetables are shipped from an adj
joining county to this to the ner-
thern markets and the producers re-
alize from $50 to 100 per acre. Wild
fruits in abundance strawberries,
black berries by the million, grapes
persimmons and many others.
COTTON AND CORN.
The great error OF the people OF this
county is they raise too much corn and
/ cotton. Cotton was at one time king
and those who proouced the fieecJ sta
pie owned large bodies of land and
droves OF mules and negroes and were
called planters; and the custom OF The
country was cotton and all southern
farmers and their hands were educated
to this one indusLrv-.he negro under
stands mules and the production of the
feecy staple and still banker after thus
one crop. There are large bodies Of
Ia A