The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-19

toh anu SOiu, la Liz Dull 70 81 pCN
culiarly suited to the former that it
can equal it for. cotton production.
A report of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture thus COM
pares the annual crop values of i'm
proved lands in Mississippi and other
States:
Per Acre.
Mississippi ..S12.21
limos 7.81
iuuldud o.Io
Iowa 6.S5
Now, when it is considered that
much of the hill and sandy lands of
the State are far less productive than
this Nile valley Of America" an idea
may be given of its marvellous fertility.
The delta also produces an average
Of thirty bushels of Indian corn per
acre, hay of the finest quality, Irish
and sweet potatoes at a net profit of
$50 per acre, and all fruits that grow
in semi-tropical countries.
The prairie region produces every
crop known to the Southern soil and
climate except the orange" 1t was
once characterized as the corn and
meat surplus" section of the State.
In addition to its numerous crops,
more diversified, perhaps, than other
sections, it has become the great GEN.
ter of MfssisSippi's stock industry.
The immense cotton fields of other
years have been laid off into meadows
and pastures for horses, mules, cattle
and hogs of the finest blood and breed.
The lumber region of the State, in
the great long leaf pine country, which
comprises practically the entire south
ern section of the State south of the
Alabama & V~icksburg railroad, is a
mine of wealth that is of incalcula-
Bile value. 1t has been estimated
that the standing timber of the State
amounts to more than seventy-five
billions of feet, and that if one tree
was planted for every n cut down
Mississippi could manufacture up
wards of three hundred millions of
feet of lumber every year and still
possess a perpetuity in her lumber
wealth.
At Gulfport and P~ascagoula ships
may be seen every day loading thou
sands of feet of yellow pine lumber
for export to foreign markets, and
more than a thousand saw mills are
constantly cutting deeper and deeper
into the forests.
Truck Farming Forging Ahead.
1t has only been of recent years
that Mississippi farmers have turned
their attention to trucking, but this
industry has grown to extraordinary
proportions, and is gradually spreading
all over the State. The possibilities
of the State in the direction of inten-
sif1ed farming are just beginning to
be understood. and of late the rail
roads of the State have turned their
attention to this industry. Excur-
sions have been run into the State
to bring p%rospectors from other Sec
tions, and specialists on horticulture
have been employed to instruct the
farmers. AS a result of these eff
forts trucking has become a leading
industry along the Illinois Central
and the Mobile & Ohio railroads. The
crops are chiefly tomatoes, strawber-
ries, potatoes, beans and asparagus.
The railroads foster this industry, and
satisfactory rates for shipment to for
eign markets are given, and plenty of
shipping facilities are provided. Nm
merous trucking organizations or So
cieties have been formed, with a view
to improving products and generally
to promote the industry.
On the gulf coast the oyster indus
try has grown to considerable pro-
portions, and the last legislature.
passed a special law protecting and
encouraging the business. Canning
factories are in operation that pay
splendid dividends. One concern has
an annual sale of $500, 900 of product.
Rapid Influx of Capital.
A tremendous influx of capital into
the State is now in progress and has
been for the past four years. Some
startling figures on this subject were
recently compiled by Secretary of
State Power from the corporation
records of his department. The fig
ures are comparative. For example,
the amount of capital stock incorpo-
rated in four years prior to October
1, 1899, aggregated only SIS, 644, 900,
while for the two years from that
date t October 1, 1901, the aggregate
amount of capital was S26,43O, 900.
Thus these two years more than doub-
led the four previous years.
Since the first day Of October, 1901,
the figures are still more startling.
From that date up to the 18th of May,
1903. a period of less than twenty
months, the aggregate of capital in
corporated reached the enormous fig
ure of SAG, 612, 450.
Mississippi is but just entering upon
her period Of development. All of
her industries have long since passed
the experimental stage and are in
the market to compete with the best
and to demand recognition.
The State has no debt, or an in
significant one. She has just paid
out in cash over a million dollars to
build a new capitol and not a bond
issued to secure a dollar of this
fund.
Her people everywhere are pros
pering and are contented, and she in
vites investors and -homeseekers to
come and help in her upbuilding.
Factory Exemptions.
For the encouragement of factories
the State offers liberal tax exemp-
tions. The statutory provisions Gre
ating factory exemptions are as fol-
lows:
"All permanent factories or plants
of the kind hereinafter named which
shall hereinafter be established in this
State before the first day of Janu-
airy, 1906, shall be exempt from all
State, county and municipal taxation
for a period of ten years, towit: All
cotton, jute, ramie. wool, silk, furs or
metals; all permanent pork-packing
and cold storage factories or plants,
- - ----L