The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-08-04
Great Meetlna at Tupelo.


Thursday was our day with the people
at Tupelo. Here the people came out in
great numbers, business men as well as
farmers. The meeting was held in the
opera house, as 1t was the only place
large enough to hold the people. The
writer first addressed the people along
the lines of diversihcation, cooperation,
education, markets for crops; how to
grow, how to ship and where to ship;
dairylng, hog and poultry growing; using
two hours In discussion of these ques-
tions.
After dinner Professor Perkins talked
on rotation of crops, restorative crops,
the building up of worn soils, etc. Follow
ing him Professor Longest talked at
length on preparation of soil for various
crops; how to cultivate, economy on the
farm, farm implements and home com
forts.
At the close Of the meeting a strong
farmers institute was organized with a
full set of officers, and an appointment
made for a meeting when the association
will agree upon line of crops to be
grown next season for shipment north
Tupelo is situated in the richest agricul-
tural country that we have visited and
while as before stated, all the places
visited furnished great proof of abund-
ance of what the country Is capable of
producing; yet 1t remained for Tupelo
to put on the finishing touches in this
matter and to bring out the finest of all
farm products that we have so far seen.
Here the samples Of apples. peaches,
plums, vegetables and melons were sim
ply surprise. One gentleman brought
In a sample basket of the finest plums 1
ever saw. They were larger than hen
eggs and sweet and free from all blight.
One shipper stated that he had shipped
his red June and summer Pearmain apples
to Detroit. Mich, and that they netted
him s3.25 per barrel
Tupelo has just recently shipped its
first car of alberta peaches, and they
are shipping several hundred crates daily
by express. We found here the late Ell
bertas. which are just coming on the
market and which are simply fine. The
peach, in fact all the fruit Industry here,
is In its infancy and the orchards are
yet small and young. However, the suc-
cess SO far has so stimulated the indus
try that thousands of trees will be
planted here next season.
This, too, is great watermelon grow
ing section and next season will find a
large acreage planted to this crop for
shipment Something near twenty wagon
loads of fine melons were hauled in here
today and sold very cheap, as there is
an over-supply. These could be shipped
If there was any organized effort, but
as there has been no effort here TO edu-
cate the people on what is best TO grow.
every man has a different variety Of
melon, or mixed lots, so that no one has
enough of any one sort to make a car
lot. Here is where comes I'm the i'm
portance of education in such matters.
Variety has much to do in the matter. and
II the right varieties are grown and
properly managed there will be no
trouble about a market, and car lots can
be sold in much less time and at much
better prices than can wagon lots ped
died around the small towns. However
we advise the cultivation of our home
markets to their fullest capacity. One
watermelon grower said that he had
cleared SOP per acre, selling his melons
on the local market.
Wonderful Country.
One thing noticeable in all this Sec