The leader., 1902-10-15
VISIT TO THE OKTIBBEHA
COUNTY FAIR

COUNTY FAIR
And the Agricultural and Mechanical
College at Starkville Mis-
sissippi.
After listening to the eloquent
and thoroughly practical address
made by Pres. j. G. Hardy, OF
the A. & NJ. College, during the
Brookhaven Chautauqua, we dc
not believe that in all that great
audience of farmers and other
representative citizens of Lincoln
county, there was a single
person not in accord with him,
and who did not feel that the sue
cess of the A. & NJ. College meant
much to the State and to her ma
terial progress.
All were interested, and many
expressed a desire to visit the
college and learn more of the
work being done there.
We were among the number;
and to us the opportunity came
earlier than we expected. 1t was
an advertised reduced rate to the
Oktibbeha County Fair. So on
October Sth, accompanied by DR..
Geo. A. Love, we set out.
The first thing of special inter
est to attract our attention
along the way was the stock
farm of Mr.. W. j. Davis,
of Terry. Mr.. Davis is making a
success of the stock business, par
ticularly of cattle breeding, and the
fine specimens of the various
breeds that could be seen from
the train would do credit to a
estern cattle ranch.
As the train dashed by Bvram,
the historic Pearl River came into
view; now of special interest be-
cause of the fact that regular
line of steamers will soon be ply
ing between Jackson and New Or
leans as they did years ago. 1t
is said that the cotton seed bust
ness has had a good deal to do
with this enterprise. At any
rate such a demand for cotton
seed has never before been
known. The cotton oil men re-
alize how short the crop is, and at
every town we visited eager buy
ers were in, evidence.
Beyond Bvram came the hay
fields of the Pearl River valley
luxuriant with Lespedeza, and Bur
muda. AS we saw the improved
machinery and skillful methods
used, DR.. Love said it reminded
him of his old home in the great
hay fields of the West. These hay
fields continued for some distance
above Jackson. Then the cane and
cotton fields again, the dilapidated
cabins, the deed in trust darkey
and his inseparable companion,
the fop-eared mule.
In this entire section, including
the Big Black swamp, on the
fields that could be seen from the
train the crop would average
about one bale to every seven
acres, and the very best cotton
we saw were two small patches,
and these would not exceed one
half bale to the acre. The corn is
a complete failure, and in many
places the growth 'of grass was
not sufficient to hide the ground.
In fact, we saw no good corn after
leaving Jackson until we reached
Sails, about - miles east of Du-
rant.
AS we travelled eastward, we
saw at every station great stacks
of cross-ties and slaves, cut from
the oak forests of North Missis-
sippi.'
When night came on and one
could no longer see from the Cal
windows, DR.. Love said, as we
drew down the shades, Il think
more of old Lincoln than [ ever
did before. She is a way ahead
of anything have seen yet" We
felt like giving three cheers fol
the land of the long leaf pine.
AT Starkville we were met by
Bro. Fox, of the college, favor
ably known to Brookhaven as one
of the conductors of our farmers
institute, and Judge at our stock
show. Mr.. R. G. King, the col
lege secretary, took US in charge
and assigned us comfortable quar-
ters for the night. Next morning
DR.. Love was up ''before sum- tC
see the college boys milk the 6;
fine Jerseys belonging to the col
lege herd. But more of this later
Breakfast over, Prof. Lloyt
: furnished us nice horse and bug
gy and we hurried away to th'
fair grounds. Here we met Capt
L. d. Mcdowell, president of tn
fair association. We explained
to him the object of our visit, ant
after inviting us up to the judges
stand, he gave US the liberty 0
the grounds. He and all Of hi
associates were very kind to u
and gave us all the information