The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-04-30
FOR GREATER MISSISSIPPI
Items of Industrial Interest GeaneI From II Over the State.
Notes and Comments.
BY II. E. ~BLAKESLEE.

Capt. w. H. Hardy, of Hattiesburg,
one OF the veteran industrial workers
OF the State, has taken a great inter-
est In the Introduction of Spanish to-
oacco in the piney woods. country, and
expresses himself as confident of the
success to attend its culture IL at
tempted. Three years ago he secured
a small portion of seed and planted an
eighth of an acre. The yield was
abundant, being pronounced by those
Versed in tobacco culture, as far bet
ter than they had even seen in west
Virginia or other tobacco producing
States. From the tobacco saved, Capt.
Hardy had several thousand CT
gars made for distribution among
his friends, and they were pro-
nounced by connoisseurs as equal
to anything they had ever smokes
at any price. A drawback TO
the culture of tobacco with people not
versed in handling it is the trouble in
ascertaining the proper time to cut
and the handling of it afterwards. rms
is proposed to be overcome If a goodly
number of farmers or truckers would
plant a crop by employing an expert
in this line to take general supervision
of all the crops. The plan is a 1eaSl-
BILE one, and the writer hopes TO see
1t given a fair trial by the people OF
the sandy belt throughout the state.
Every acre of this land is especially
adapted to the culture of tobacco, ana
experience has proven that it Will pro-
duce superior to any other country
where it has been tried. What We need
is, for some of our people to branch
out on these new lines, make a c
cess of it and set the example 1Or
their initiative neighbors who are from
Missouri, and have to be shown.
Some of the newspapers in u
Mississippi are persistently urging the
growing of ribbon cane and h manu-
factureI of syrup therefrom, proving
from actual experience that 1t is a
profitable crop and one that is espe-
cially adapted to hat section of the
State. The Times, at GulfpOrt, in its
last issue, has some pertinent matter
on the subject. 1t is shown that IN
the piney woods assertion the cane
grows well and produces ~abundantly
a splendid syrup that brings top notch
prices on the market. w. j. Quarles,
of Long Beach, says: 81 do not know
how much cane syrup l get to the
acre: have never kept count, but L
know. that as high as 700 gallons have
been made and sold right here from a
single acre, although that is doubt
less above the average. This syrup
brings from 40 to so cents per gallon
in barrel lots. Some fertilizer is re-
ouired but not more than $40 to $l5
Another OpntlQmAn from
Bay st. Louis says: Il had one hall
acre in sugar cane that turned out 156
gallons Of syrup, after saving seed for
an acre another year. The syrup was
sold on the local market for so cents
Der gallon. Owing to the drouth |
do not consider this a fair average.
Another correspondent states that he
made from two acres of sugar cane 884
gallons. that brought him SAP, or 1921
to the acre. The land or which this
cane is grown is not very well suited
to cotton. but has a strong clay founda-
ton we'll adapted to the retention of
fertilizers for the growing of nearly
all crops. It can be bought at a very
reasonable figure and offers cheap
homes for thousands OF families seek
ing such. The climate is very mild,
rarely ever being cold enough tor ice,
and the atmosphere pure and healthy.
The section mentioned certainly oners
great inducements to people looking
for cheap homes in a great country,
where lands will appreciate In value
and a permanent market be assured
for the product.
A friend in Blue Mountain. after
I'll g. n
the wonderful advancement being
made by his town, concludes with the
following personal reference:
81 think your Greater Mississippi
department the best feature or the
newspapers and calculated to do a
great good in stimulating MISSISSIPPI
plans to greater efforts in building UP
their State, also to bring its resources
and advantages to the favorable notlce
of people on the outside"
This is the object of the depart
ment exactly. If only one good family
can be induced to locate here and
helm bring some of our land into cul-
tivation, or one factory be located for
the use of our crude material, the
writer will feel fully repaid for the lit
tie trouble experienced in getting up
n matter.
Just after every disastrous fire in
the State there is a big noise made
about better means of combating the
flames. Every town has had this ex-
perience. 1t is too late to lock the
door after the horse has been stolen.
A system of waterworks costs but
little to the individual members OF
a municipality, is a great convenience
as well as a necessity, and the town
with one thousand people or more
without such a system is a back mum
Der. Build water plants n be pre-
pared for any emergency that may
arise. Winona Is the latest sufferer
in this line and her people are now
talking of some means for fighting fire
The property loss in her recent hre
would have gone a long ways toward
putting in a plant If 1t would not have
built it. There is no better invest
ment that could be made and all towns
should have them.
There is a little cause for complaint
with a great many Mississipians that
could be easily corrected. They know
foo little about their State and when
asked for information are too slow OF