Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-08-20

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tacturers' Record, and one of the
best-known newspaper men of the
South, who has just made a trip
through the State, gives an interest
ing and glowing account of crop aud
commercial conditions throughout
Mississippi. Mr.. Langley says:
Crop prospects in Mississippi could
hardly be better The State will
raise the largest corn crop this year
IN its history. A great deal has been
said and written about increased cot
ton acreage, but the percentage OF
cori acreage in the State of Missie.
sipri this year will be decidedly
gre 'er than that Of cotton. DR.. Tur.
ners ~ Leland, one Of the largest
planters, bankers and merchants in
the delta, in discussing the subject
with me the other day, said that, as a
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 il made no difference, however
how much corn a negro raised that
he would manage to squander Y
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 tcO
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. ! sec that
the government report shows 9S.G
crop, which means nearly perfect, and
II it was not for n little too much
rain and grass, II would be perfect.
"A great deal Is being said ard
written about the increased cotton
acreage, every vacant spot, the fence
corners, etc, being planted in cotton;
that is untrue and absurd. The gov
ernment report shows the increased
acreage in the whole South to be
little more than II IL 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
ia an increase in some places, of
course, but nothing like what is re-
ported and generally believed.
From commercial and industrial
standpoint, | have never known the
State to be as prosperous before In
= presidential election year. Every
where | 30 find bank deposits in
creasing, trade volumes swelling, new
bnsinss and residence buildings going
up, streets being paved, sewers, water
works and other public and private
improvements IN course Of construc-
tion.
"rhe only break in trade circles in
the State Is the recent slump in lum-
Der. A great many millmen put
large part of their capital in stump
age, based on recent high prices, and
today they cannot saw 1t and sell IT
at current prices and make cost out
of II. This Is not going to last long,
however as lumber is bound to re-
cuperatc with all the building going
up, and to be put mp 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, II takes
twothirds more labor to gather a cot
ton crop than It does TO plant and
cultivate. ami practically all the avail
allie cotton field labor IN the State is
now engaged in cultivating the pres
ent crop, and 1t will, therefore, be
necessary to find great deal Of addl
tional help TO pick IT, Where this ad-
dtional help is coming from Is
problem, but It must be had
Notwithstanding tho fine crop
prospects at this time, am Arm
believer in 10 and l2cent cotton The
coming season, and that the State has
ever known such prosperity as It
viii enjoy next year"