The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-05
EENyILLE WASHINGTON COUNTY MISS WEDNESDAY, MAY 1897
A MISTAKEN IDEA,

'"' "a ""ooury has just returned
returned from visit to Atlonto
where be met aud talked with Prosi.
dent Hector ID. Lane ana others in.
terested In Drop prospects for tLe
coming year. From conversations
with President Lane Mr.. Gaboury
gathered that the universal sentiment
throughout the Gotten region was In
laVor OF planting an almost exclu.
SiVo crop Of that staple, and that this
iuea was the result of the belief thst
Aoods would cut the crop short in an
amount ranging, In different estimates,
from one to several million bales. In
consequence of this prevailing notion,
every fence corner farmer in tie
States of Mississippi, Alabama and
georgia is determined to put every
foot Of bis ground in cotton. Mr..
Gaboury, on being interviewed on
the subject of the damage done by the
Hoods and it's effect on tbs cotton crop
answered as follows:
"Ihs damage mas been vastly exag
gerated in my opinion, take for in.
stance, tha Yazoo Valley extending
from Memphis to VIcksburg, Miss, 4
distance of 265 miles. ThOre are three
sections Of laid in that territory, the
bayous aud creeks, the marshes and
the highlands. The bayou lands are
never planted They are twenty-seven
feet Hnder water. The marsh lands.
OF which Il very small per cent is ever
planted, Is still under water, but the
water is recoding. If by June l the
farmers are enabled to plant cotton
crop they will make better crop than
they did last year. AS far as the main
body of the Delta or Yazoo, which is
yearly put under cultivation, is con-
ceTned, can only say that the crop
this year, instead of being smaller |
will probably be much, larger than
last year The larger part of that ter
rltory was not flooded at all. The |
rich alluvial deposits lett by the river
wheD it recedes will have imported
great richness to the soil. The in
crease in the crop there will probably |
be 100000
The flooded district in the Yszoo |
Valley is directly east of Greeuvllo
and between Deer Greek and the Sun
lower river aud that whole territory
will be susceptible of cultivation this
rear and the crop, as far as Mississippi |
e concerned, will be larger than last
rear.
Tho main damage will have been
lone in Louisiana below Lake Pfoyi-
Ience. The waters are recediug from
into Louisiana above
and the crop will probably |
10 cut off there. The Louisiana cot
Oh crop will probably be about l00,'
90 bales short but the deficiency
I'LL be largely made up by the increase
4 ihe crop iu Mississippi
Altogether | cannot see that the col
on crop will be lessened this year by
ie floods. On The contrary, 1t may
Q larger; certainly not less"
While planters in the overhowed 4
istrlct will readily enough recognize |
10 fallacy of the idea that The tota G
'op will be appreOiably affected BY
e iuundation of the river districts
IL well for them 10 know that such ,
/ impression prevails, and TO be e
arncd III time that their own inter-
is Will be consulled by making pro- q
sion, as far as possible, for the mSln- a
nance ofthcir stock and labor How P
er late it may be, the necessity for !"
anting sufiicioncy of corn and for h
e is NOT done away with, but rather d
nder0d more imperative by the pro- e
Bile action of those who are net af- lC
4 L. 4 4. 4 1s,Tur -