Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-09-10

The industrial possibilities of any
| section of country are dependent
mainly upon climate. water timber
| soil and transportation facilities.
have left out the problem, the factor
of the character of the people who
inhabit the country, because when al
the conditions named above are ia
vorable, the enterprising spirit of the
| Caucasian will speedily supply the
population necessary to develop these
| resources.
Climate.
The climate in this portion of Mis-
sissippi is unsurpassed by that OF any
| other section of this great country
Isotherm is defined to be: "A line
passing through points on the earth's
surface which have the same temper
ature." Maury, in his Physical Geog
raphy, places u gulf coast on the
same isothermal line with Bermuda
which is one of the the health esorts
of the world.
Water.
No country on earth is better water
ed than this section. We have on the
east Chicassahay river. on the west
Pearl river and IN the east and west
center Leaf river and Strong river
to say nothing of the many large
creeks like the Tallahalas, Tusco'
homa, Bouie, Oktohoma, Black,
Thompson's, Silver creek, and many
others. all fed by small, beautiful
perennial streams like the brook i'm.
mortalized by T%ennyson.
Within less than twenty-five miles
of the city of Hattiesburg, on the Oko'
toma, is a water power, which, if har-
messed. controlled and properly direct
ed. a furnish all the electric light
and power need to supply city and
town within a radius of fifty miles,
Then there are many mineral springs
throughout all this section, the thera-
peutic properties of whose waters are
the healing of nearly all diseases. II
we go down beneath the surface from
200 to 1000 feet in many portions oil
this section, overlooking wells OF
water are obtained. Then the average
| rainfall per annum is about Sc inches
Timber.
AS before stated, the area of this
section covers fully 5000 square
miles. about go per cent. of which is
covered with long leaf yellow pine,
equivalent in round numbers to 3,O0O,-
900 acres of land.
If we estimate the standing timber
at 5000 feet per acre, it gives us "a
900, 000, 900 feet of lumber. This lum'
Der today is selling all the way from
$40 to $22 per 1000 feet, and it will
probably never get any cheaper, as the
worlds supply of timber is daily de-
| creasing, while the demand for lumber
is daily increasing.
The Soil and Its Products.
1t is a light sandy soil, underlaid
with a yellow and red clay, and Is
easily cultivated. One hand with a
| small horse or mule can cultivate as
much of it as two hands with two
horses or mules of the black lands OF
the eastern part of the State or the
swamp lands in the western part OF
the State, and by proper fertilization
and cultivation it will produce as
much per acre n year with another
as the richer lands of the State. Cot
ton, corn, oats, peas, potatoes tlrlsh
and sweet, sugar cane, tobacco, gar
den vegetables of every kind, melons
and orchard fruits, berries Especially
the strawberry, all yield abundant
| crops under proper fertilization and
cultivation.
We need to change the method OF
farming, however, before the best re.
suits can be reached. We rely main.
" upon commercial fertilizers tn
| merely stimulate the soil, as alcohO
does the human body. What we wan,
is a fertilizer that permanently I'M.
proves the land.
Sugar Cane, Sweet Potatoes and
Tobacco.
Every acre of this section of the
| State will produce sugar "a 1t does
not grow so luxuriant as in Louisiana
but more stalks can be raised to the
acre, as the rows are narrower; 1t is
| cultivated at less expense; it is richer
in saccharine, due in my opinion to
the heat OF warmth of the sandy soil
This is equally true of melons and
sweet potatoes raised on light sandy
lands.
The soil of this section is well
dudpltu " IdfSluS tOOdSSO- biodS ~
experiment with imported Havana to
bacco seed in 1891. | planted an eighth
of an acre of light sandy soil in to
bacco about the first of May, whence
| had already gathered a crop of Irish
potatoes. 1t grew off rapidly and
never saw finer tobacco in Virginia OF
| Kentucky. / gathered 1t in the fall
and cured it, packing it down in
large box, and the following spring
took it out and had it made into cigars
There were two grades of the tobac
co. The better grade made a cigal
worth $75 a thousand and the Other
| $50 a thousand. / have a few of the
inferior grade with me as a sample
The manufacturer furnished the wrap
per. However, this soil will produce
as fine leaf wrapper as a be raised
anywhere.
At the prices named above. this
eighth of an acre yielded, after deduct
ing all expenses. about $50 net.
I think the experimental farm al
Mcneil ought to put at least five acres
in Spanish tobacco next year and raise
both filler and wrapper. Then there
should be an experiment made witt
crude phosphate meal or ground phos
plate applied in a crude state without
being first dissolved by sulphuric acid
This experiment should run through
a period for at least five years. | be
lieve it would permanently improve
the land.
But the most potential factor in de
veloping the future industrial posi-
| bilities of the section is the opening
to the commerce of the world of tbs
magnificent harbor at
Gulfport.
This harbor covers an area OF ncaf
" eleven square miles, afording SAT-
anchorage for 1000 ships, in a Geptl
Of water ranging from 81 to As feet
securely l~and-locked, and in which M
vessel has ever been lost
This harbor is connected with ii
railroad pier and wharyes near thu
shore by a channel 800 feet wide ant
% feet deep, with an anchorage basil