Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-08-18
craps. Commerce and industry.

Mr.. Lee J. Langley, of the Manu-
facturers' Record, and one of the
best-known newspaper men of the
South, who has just made trip
through the State, gives an interest
ing and glowing account of crop and
commercial conditions throughout
Mississippi. Mr.. Langley says:
Crop prospects in Mississippi could
hardly be better. The State viii
raise the largest corn crop this year
in its history. A great deal has been
said and written about increased cot
tom acreage, but the percentage OF
corn acreage in the State of Missis-
sfppi this year will be decidedly
greater than that of cotton. DIR. Tur'
ner, Of Leland, one Of the largest
planters, bankers and merchants In
the delta, in discussing the subject
with me the other day, said that, as
rule. cotton land owners did not want
their negro tenants to raise anything
but cotton, but that this year they
had encouraged them to plant corn
in order to keep down the cotton
acreage, and that as a result, there
would probably be 100 per cent more
corn grown by colored farmers in
Mississippi this year than usual. He
said it made no difference, however.
how much corn negro raised that
he would manage to sQuander u
some way before the next planting
time, and would have to be furnished
corn to make his next crop on, and,
knowing this, the plantation owner
was planting his usual acreage just
the same. This has been an ideal corn
growing season, and Mississippi has
never had such promising corn crops
"The cotton crop is also looking
WELL although there has been too
much rain and too much grass, but
the cotton fields were in usually good
condition when the rain commenced,
and there is plenty of time yet for
1t to be cleaned out and fruit in the
principal rain centers. The crop as
it is is certainly fine. | see that
the government report shows 9S.6
crop, which means nearly perfect, and,
IL it was not for a little too much
rain and grass, it would be perfect.
"a great deal is being said and
written about the increased cotton
acreage, every vacant spot, the fence
corners, etc, being planted in cotton;
| that is untrue and absurd. The gov
eminent report shows the increased
acreage in the whole South to be q
| little more than IL 1-2 per cent, and
my own opinion is that the estimate
is ample. Washington county, per-
haps the largest cotton grow
| ing county in the South has, II
anything, decreased acreage. There
is an increase in some places, of
course, but nothing like what is re-
ported and generally believed.
From a commercial and industrial
standpoint, have never known the
State to be as prosperous before in
a presidential election year. Every
where / 60 I find bank deposits in
creasing, trade volumes swelling, new
businss and residence buildings going
I'D. streets being paved, sewers, water
works and other public and private
improvements in course Of construc,
| ton.
1.-The only break in trade circles IN
the State is the recent slump in lum-
ber A great many millmen put a
large part of their capital In stump
| age. based on recent high prices, and
today they cannot saw it and sell il
| at current prices and make cost out
| OF 1t, This is not going to last long
! however, as lumber is bound to re
cuperate with all the building going
up. and to be put up in this country
| and an increased demand from
abroad. The chief difficulty that the
State has to contend with at this
time is the scarcity of labor. 1t takes
two-thirds more labor to gather a cot
ton crop than it does to plant and
cultivate, and practically all the avail
able cotton field labor in the State is
now engaged in cultivating the pres
ent crop, and it WILL therefore, be
necessary to find great deal of addl
tional help to pick it. Where this ad
ditional help is coming from IL a
problem. but it must be had.
Notwithstanding the fine crop
prospects at this time, I am a firm
believer in 10 and 12-cent cotton the
coming season, and that the State has
never known such prosperity as 1t
will enjoy next year"