The leader., 1904-04-30

capt. w. II. Hardy, OI f1dIIicSuul 81
one of the veteran industrial workers
of the State, has taken a great inter-
est in the introduction of Spanish to-
bacco in the piney woods country, and
expresses himself as confident of the
success to attend its culture If 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
CARS made for distribution among
his friends, and they were pro-
nounced by connoisseurs as equal
to anything they had ever smoked
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. This
is proposed to be overcome If 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 feast
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, and
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 sue
cess of it and set the example for
their initiative neighbors who are from
Missouri, and have to be shown.
Some of the newspapers in South
Mississippi are persistently urging the
growing of ribbon cane and the manu-
facture of syrup therefrom, proving
from actual experience that it is a
profitable crop and one that is espe-
cially adapted to that section of the
State. The Times, at Gulfport, in it's
last issue, has some pertinent matter
on the subject. 1t is shown that in
the piney woods assertion the cane
grows we'll and produces abundantly
a splendid syrup that brings top notch
prices on the market. w. j. Quarles,
of Long Beach, says: Il 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-
quired, but not more than $40 to SIS
per acre" Another gentleman from
Bay ST. Louis says: Il had one half
acre in sugar cane that turned out 1856
gallons of syrup, after saving seed for
an acre another year. The syrup was
sold on the local market for SO cents
per gallon. Owing to the drouth |
do not consider this fair average"
Another correspondent states that he
made from two acres of sugar cane 1874
gallons, that brought him $442, or 1921
to the acre. The land on which this
cane is grown is not very we'll suited
to cotton, but has strong clay founda-
ton we'll adapted to the retention OF
fertilizers for the growing Of nearly
all crops 1t can be bought at very
reasonable figure and offers cheap
homes for thousands of families seek
ing such. The climate is very mild,
rarely ever being cold enough for Ice,
and the atmosphere pure and healthy.
The section mentioned certainly offers
great inducements to people looking
for cheap homes in great country,
where lands will appreciate in value
and a permanent market be assured
for the product
A friend in Blue Mountain. after
registering a kick for recognition of
the wonderful advancement being
made by his town, concludes with the
following personal reference:
st think your Greater Mississippi
department the best feature of the
newspapers, and calculated to do a
great good in stimulating Mississip-
plans to greater efforts in building up
their State, also to bring its resources
and advantages to the favorable notice
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
help bring some of our land into Gull
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
the matter.
Just after every disastrous fire in
the State there is 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 great convenience
as we'll as a necessity, and the town
with one thousand people or more
without such system is back num-
Der. Build water plants and 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 fire
would have gone long ways toward
putting in plant if it 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
WlLn d great IudAy hkooAooApAoAo SAHe
could be easily corrected. They know
too little about their State and when
asked for information are too slow or
uncertain in giving it. Post your
selves about it, get a goodly store of
information at your tongues end for
use on the instant, make up your mind
that we have the best State in the
Union and have dozen reasons to
prove this always on hand. Then
when the opportunity affords you will
not be at a loss for something to say
and it can be said with zeal and con-
yiction that will have weight with the
party asking for it.
The oyster industry, one OF the
greatest in the State, will not play out
in few years for want of the beds, as
some people seem to think. While
great inroads are made on the oyster
every season, plan of renewing the
beds has been adopted and more
grown to take the place of those TAX
en- out. Shells are planted every year
for the young to attach themselves to