The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-21
DYICE TO THE SOUTH.
Prosperity of Depends on Di-
v~ersifcatiOn of Industries.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20. - Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson, in discussing to-day the
productive possibilities of the South and
the problem of negro labor, made the follow
ing observations THE pressing question is,
what is the laborer down South, who has
been growing cotton and is not getting
enough for his product, to do in the future
to enable him to live comfortably, not to
speak of improvements in his condition, edu-
cation and all that? The cotton crop leaves
very little that is valuable for domestic ami
mails after the picking is done, thus differ
ing from the corn crop Of the Northwestern
States. There is a by-product, the cotton
seed, that is exceedingly valuable as a nu-
TRENT, and much good work is being done
by scientists at experiment stations to show
how valuable cotton seed is for feeding pur-
poses. The great cotton-growing industry
of the South is not up to date. The nitrogen
contents are greater than those Of any other
grain; it is richer IN heterogeneous matter
than peas or beans, richer than gluten, meal
or Oil cake. The Northern feeder and the
European feeder have been using this by
product of the cotton fields with great ad-
vantage to them, while the loss Of its fer
tilizing qualities to the South has been very
great.
THE South has more marked advantages
over the North with regard to production.
1t has more heat and moisture, the two
great factors of production, and If the cotton
grower is to diversity his crops he must
use those natural advantages. The dairy COW
and mutton sheep would succeed admirably
in the South, but something for them TO eat
must be provided first. The winters In the
South are mild; grasses, grains and legumes
can be sown in the fall, growing abundantly
through the winter, upon which the dairy
ON na1 fhA a4zffn Ehnnn - hrfxr mr.
produce. From a fifth to a fourth of all
the fat of all the milk on the farms of the
United States is lost. People do not thor
oughly understand when to churn cream.
The churning process is an art of much
science, but the cotton grower of the South
only needs to learn the way, while the man
who teaches him can understand the science.
Much yet remains to be discovered in
the art Of breeding animals, but enough
is known to Indicate to the instructor of
the colored cotton grower of the South who
is to be diverted into work of this kind to
enable him to breed his herd i~ntelligently.
The South can prepare the spring lamb
much earlier than the North. There is al
ways a greater demand for saddle horses
than is supplied. The world wants carriage
and draft horses and good roadsters. Early
spring chickens-the broilers-can be pro-
duced down there, because they have milder
winters and milder springs than we have.
Should the market become overSupplied, we
can send this product abroad in the refriger-
ated compartments of our steamships.
There is a diversity of opinion of the
South as to the ability of the colored man
to be used in diversified labor. The colored
man is learning the trades at Tuskegee;
he is mining coal and working near Birming-
ham. Some Southern men whom you will
meet say that they have the best labor in
the world, and in some respects I am in
clined to think they have. The South has
reached the point that most of the States Of
the Northwest reached long ago. Years ago
section after section devoted itself to corn
and wheat, until the land refused to yield
its crops and the farmer was driven to
seek diversitication. Prosperity came to the
Northwest through Investigation of indus
tries on the farm. l know of no other way
through which it can come to the South. 1t
seems to me that the necessities of the oc-
casion are up to the intelligent land owner.
He should inform himself on these lines.
He SHOULD have done it years ago. The
sciences which relate to agriculture would
stand him in good stead, while his diploma
from a literary institution is worth very lit
tie to him. 1t is not too late. Improvement
along these lines cannot be expected to
originate with the laboring men Of the South
it must begin with the men of education"