The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-04-09

throughout the country and MISSISSIPPI
pl gets two or more. One has al
ready been established at Virgins,
and the second will likely be located
in the northwestern part of the State
and third in the delta. Profs. B. M.
Tracy and w. j. Spillman are in
charge of the work.
Prof. Spillman makes public the
following statement regarding the
work of these farms, and the method
of their selection, a portion Of which
is as follows:
"These farms are in no sense ex-
pertinent stations. They are purely
business propositions. The type of
farming to be followed is in each case
determined by local conditions of soil,
climate and markets. 1t is the inten-
ton to develop on each farm a sys-
tenn that will become permanently
profitable, and that will build up the
fertility of the soil. AS soon as
farm is in proper working order, ar
engagements will be made to permit
large numbers of farmers to visit it,
and inspect the stock, crops, build
ings, the methods employed, etc. In
connection with these visits, lectures
will be given in which the details of
the farm work and the results OBJ
tanned will be explained. The plans for
the work of each farm are made joint
~ by the officers Of the State expert
ment station, a representative of the
national department of agriculture,
the best local farmers The owner of
the farm is given the power to veto
the recommendations of the commit
tee, but when once plan has been
agreed on, the owner agrees to fol-
low it faithfully. He also agrees to
keep a record of the work done and
the results, so that it can be publish
ed for the benefit of other farmers
Since this line of work is new, in or
der to encourage farmers to take
hold of it, the department of agri-
culture agrees, in the case of the
80 farms established this year, to
furnish seed for so acres and fertilizer
for rs acres the first year, in cases
where the owner of the farm does not
already have seed ON hand. After the
work is well organized and there are
results to point to, no subsidy of this
kind will. be offered.
''The farmers thus far organized are
confined to combination of dairying,
hog raising and market gardening.
There is room in the South for ex-
tensive development of all these types
of farming. AS soon as the work is
we'll in hand it is intended to extend
it to all parts Of the country. When
the possibilities OF section and the
fx-nn Nf 20 iT1rr foYsv RI irncs m
follow are known 1t is not a difficult
task for one familiar with agricultural
science and the best practice to form
ulate a cropping system for a farm
that will produce the largest returns
in feed and sale crops. When it is
known that here and there men of ex-
ceptional ability have already develop
ed systems that return three or four
times as much from given area as
the average farmer obtains, and when
it is remembered that the average
man is capable of being shown it, it
is not exaggerating the possibility to
say that the average production of
American farms can be raised ten per
cent per annum to adopt the methods
used by the most successful farmers.
This would mean the annual addition
to the agricultural wealth of this
country of something like 100000
600. If this is possible, and it GER
tainly is, there is little prospect that
the race will begin to starve in an
other third of a century as some econ
omists have lately commended"
The climatic and crop service report
for Mississippi has just been issued by
the government, and contains much
information that will be of interest to
people with turn for statistics. The
Chronological data will likely prove
the more interesting, SO some extracts
from it will be given.
The highest temperature recorded
in the State during 1908 was at Aber-
deem, on July 6, 1913, and Okolona, July
2, 103. The lowest recorded was at
Ripley, February II, zero. The high
est mean temperature for the year
was at Pennington, Hancock county,
of 66.2. The lowest was at Ripley,
58.7. Average for the State was 62.9.
Fayette received the greatest amount
of RAINFALL 62.26 inches. Macon the
smallest, 34.S4. Average for the State,
1853. The greatest number of clear
days were reported from fernando,
245. The smallest number at Ponto-
toe, 102. Average for the State, 1874.
The latest killing frost reported last
year was on April 4 at the Agricultur-
al College, Ripley and Duck Hill. The
first in the fall on October 10, at
great number of places in the north
ern part of the State. The year was
generally cooler and drier than usual.
Several parties over around Macon
are successfully raising bees and sell
ing honey. Not long since solid car
was shipped from one apiary. 1t net
ted good prices and the owner hand
some profit. While it has been con-
sidered that bees were not paying
property in the State, it may have
been because the business was not
gone into in the proper way. There
are number of industries in the
State paying the owners that major
ity of the people would class as
chimerical illusions if approached to
become engaged in them. 1t takes
get-up and get to make anything go,
and what we need most is number
of just such people in each commun-
ity.
While there are in the State num-
Der of railroads that have as finely
equipped trains and make as good
time as any roads in the country,
there are still some that are not ex-
actly up-to-date in either respect.
Some days ago large planter of the
delta was complaining to an official
of the poor service on the road which
ran through his town. The official
told him that if he were to put on
more trains that they would likely
kiln a great many of the fine animals
that he kept on his farm Mr. Planter
countered by telling the Official that
if he had COW that couldn't outrun
any train on the road he would kill
her himself. The service on that
road will, in all likelihood, be i'm
proved in the near future.
Greenwood has arranged to issue
100000 in bonds for the purpose of
buying the present light and water
plants, adding a sewerage system and
making all three the best that money