The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-07-22
IMPRESSED " HE FOLLOWING which is taken from the Manufac.
IKE SOUTH: turrs Reeard will be found exceedingly interesting

IMPRESSED ~ HE FOLLOWING which is taken from the Manuhs.
the souIh. \ tunrs Record will be found exceedingly interesting.
These ire suggestions which every tiler of the soil Will md OF great pfacti.
cal Use if put to the test. They are sensible and pertinent, and stamps Nc.
Kinhys secretary Of agriculture rs ii man Of sound sense, good taste and
safe Judgment:
The secretary of agriculture, after his return from the presidential trip
to the exposition at Nashville. has given to Mr.. Thos. i. Grasty, Of the
regarding the south and its varied interests. He speaks enthusiastically Of
the reception the president received all along the line, and says the pesI. !.
dent was greatly pleased with the cordial greeting given by the southern
people everywhere. -
The secretary made a careful study of southern agriculture. and has
some decided opinions regarding it. 1t was his first trip in the south, and
the conditions. as he observed them, made a strong impression upon him.
All the way from the District of Columbia, through the VirRinlas, Tennes.
see and North Carolina, he say soil that has long been under cultivation,
much Of which, through want of proper Investigation OF the crops has been
greatly reduced in fertility. THE conditions in the south and north" said :
he. 'are quite different. There more heat and more rain fall in the south.
These factors and continued cultivation have a tendency to reduce the or.
reduction Of the soil to a condition where little remains but the mineral
plant food, Heat and moisture bring about decomposition. The nitrogen
found lin the organic matter is returned to the atmosphere, and the ability
of the soil to produce is consequently lessened. There are no roots to hold
the sol. together in the old cultivated lands. Where there is less heat and.
less moisture decomposition Of organic matter proceeds much more slowly
The northern ATTITUDES suffer no loss Of organic matter during the winter
because the low temperatures prevent decomposition, but In the south the.
reverse of this is the case" -
The secretary isof the opinion that the system of agriculture in the
south should be radically changed. More grasses should be sown and more
nguminous plants cultivated 'Clover, beans peas etc. he continued,
are required to rstock the soil with heterogeneous matter. The COW and
mutton sheep should be introduced in the south to a much created extent.
The country gone over by the presidential party Slargely natural grass land,
which would be quite responsive to good treatment. With a smaller percen.
tagc of land brought under the pillow larger crops would be had from the land
that would be cultivated and a gradual regeneration Of the soil would TAX.
place" -~a
The secretary visited the Belle Mead farm, and was delighted with the
herd of 400 deer running at large and took a lively interest in the $50
thoroughbred maresth there kept, and the finest horses of that breed to be
found anywhere. But" said he, II was more interested in the inteli-
gence displayed by Ger. Jackson in the introduction Of 100 dairy cows The
general is an educated man, and reflection has taught him that he should"
produce something that the world wants every day. The COW meets this re-.
quirement. Butter takes nothing from the soil: all of it comes from the at
nSphcre, Or nearly all OF it.
THE southern farmer, :" the secretary went on to say, 'shOuld turn his
attention to products requiring the highest skill which take just
as little heterogeneous matter from the soil as possible.
There is no doubt but that manufacturing and mining will add new
formulation to he Sputh in the future and furnish a market fol imDDtant
farm products to IA much greater extent than is provided at the present
time
THE Nashville exposition is arousing all over the country a liveler in.
,cmst in the south, its resources. and what its entefprisng people art doing
and is very suggestive of what they may do. aY
"There are many things that might be said of the southern people that
have never seen in print. They are almost purely Americans. The average
education is quite high. We we're furnished with some gratifying ilustra.
tons of how well bred these people are. For instance, in the middleo of Gov.
.Bushnens speech Mrs. Mckinley entered the hail. Everybody arose and
greeted her most cordially men. women and children. 1t has been said
that the southern women have not given up the old struggle. There was
certainly no indication Of it there. They were put too severe test how
ever. At the close of the exercises the 5000 in the hall were requested to
remain seated while the president walked out. There were no poiccmen'o
MALTA to enforce this request. Not a man, woman 0 child moved until
the president had gone out of the hall. That would only happen among =
wclbrcd, considerable people. Indeed, l have seer it tried in several other
places where both policemen and MALTA were present to enforce order, ana
thoroughly failed to prevent men and women, too, from rushing in to get q
near the President and Mrs. Mckinley as possible. The president and ms
party we're greatly pleased with the reception and kindness shown MRS NC
Kjmey. and, of course.h he was delighted with the cordial recognition given
him. lie, without question, takes as much interest In the people Of the
south as he does in those of any other part of the United States"
The secretary is using every effort to make himself familiar with the in-
dustries of the southern people along agricultural lines, and has been prompt.
ed to undertake personally the work of preparing something on the subject
of ycupcrating wonout soil, to be sent out to producers in the form OF a
farmers bulletin. He thinks this will be suggestive to the people of the
southern states as well ~ ito the people of the northwest, to whom n word Of
warning concerning the dangers incident to careless cultivation may not
come amiSS "r".