The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-14
Mississippi Fields Beyond
Redemption.
CROPS WASHED AWHY
Prof. w. F. Massey Talks Interestingly
OF Trip Through The South. Says
Cotton Acreage Reduction OF
80 Per Cent will be Largely
Augmented.

lege, has returned from mis- vacation IN
the South. and while in Mississippi
he made I study of the agricultural
conditions of that State. Cotton fields
there were desolate as heavy and long
continued rains had washed the fields,
destroying the crops The losses TO
the farmers amounted to many thou
sands of bales of cotton. and the loss
is irreparable Prof. Massey believes
that the estimated reduction OF cot
ton acreage is not exaggerated, but
rather will be largely increased, ana
asserts that the crop this year will
not exceed nine million bales
Mississippi has made the BOOK
Agriculture for Beginners" by Profs-
Eurkett. Stevens and Hill. OF this city.
compulsory in the schools OF That
State Prof Massey delivered several
lectures at the Mississippi summer
school. and spent few days IN
Georgia. which State is experiencing
an awakening for better agricultural
college.
day Prof. Massey said:
THE State Of Mississippi has re-
Gently adopted for a series Of five
wears tn come list of books TO De
used in the schools in that state In
order that the methods Of these books
should be we'll understood they called
4 meeting al the Mississippi Agricui-
tural College of all the County super
intendents OF schools the state ST.
perinteudent and the Conductors OF
Teachers Institutes, and asked the au-
thors OF these books 10 come there
and lecture for a week on methods
To be used with their various books
50 that the Superintendents and Con-
ductors could be prepared To help the
teachers Among the books adopted
Is the little book agriculture for Be
gfnners." by Prof's Burkett, Stevens
and Hill of the North Carolina College
of Agriculture and Mechanics Arts. As
these gentlemen We're otherwise en-
aged and as | had hand in the
preparation of the Horticultural mat
ter in the book l was asked 10 60
there and tell them something about
teaching the elements OF agriculture
in the schools.
Il found at the college a large as
semblage OF bright and earnest men.
and as there was q summer school for
teachers going on there at the same
time many OF the teachers attended
some OF the lectures when not other
wise engaged. / had the pleasure TO
make lectures of an hour each five
not stay longer. for the subject was by
no means exhausted. Mississippi has
mad. this book compulsory i'm the
schools and il is 10 be hoped that
all the Southern States will soon fall
in line. so that the colleges of agri-
culture may finally be relieved from
primary work and enabled 10 advance
their course Of study The Mississippi
College has a fine equipment OF
buildings with ample campus and
farm Of 1000 acres and they are talk
ing about a new agricultural building
TO cost 100000.
"In Georgia too | found that there
is a great awakening for d better col
lege OF Agriculture AT their University.
They have raised SIS. 900 and ask the
Legislature 10 add s100 900 10 il and
believe that IL will be done. Georgia
is the most backward of all the South
ern States in agricultural education.
and the little that has been done al
the University is but u trif1e to what
IS needed Now thai the people have
walked up 10 the need for real agrf-
cultural school i'm connection with the
University there is a probability or
its success.
"Of course I'm the long travel
through different states ! was interest
ed i'm observing the state Of the crops.
In the whole trip | saw little cotton
equal to what we have i'm most parts
of North Carolina. The part OF South
Carolina ! passed through Is far from
being the best cotton part OF the state.
but there too the cotton Is more prom
Using than further west. From Allan
Ia TO Birmingham. Ala bama, is n rough
mountinous section and no cotton. and
I had no chance to observe the cotton
growing part of Alabama. But going
westward from Birmingham when we
got clear of the hills We began 10
see-I was going to say cetton-What
was intended To be cotton and corn
fields. The further westward and
southwark | went the worse the pros
peCt was for both cotton and corn.
Going TO the College | went by West
Point. Miss. All the way | found the
same sad state OF affairs and on my
return I went from Artesia on the
Mobile and Ohio railroad nOrthward
to Tupelo. and all over the beautiful
prairie country on this route the clean
and we'll cultivated fields of cotton
were the exception. The whole lower
valley of the Mississippi has been
flooded by continual rains. Through
the parts OF Mississippi where ! pass
ed II seemed TO me that fully half
the cotton has been abandoned TO
at looks as though they will have 10
import corn Dor their hogs The MiSsis
sippi former have harder task than
ours in a wet seaaon because Of the
omnipresent Johnson grass. About
the Agricultural College the larger
part of the country has simply been
turned over to Johnson grass. They
grub out some ia order 10 plant caE=
ton or corn and by the time the crop
is of the grass is again getting pos
session. While So much OF q pest 1t
has been a blessing I'm compelling
them 10 turn their attention 10 stock
and the country has plenty OF diaries.
Beefsteaks retair there at ten
cents per pound. and | almost wish
ed thai the Johnson grass would take
possession areu-a Rqleigh il il would
give us such beef as l found u4ere-
But 10 return TO the cotton. My
observation satisfied that Mr.. Cheat
ham is right in his estimate of a
80 pes cent reduction i'm the area n re-
! duction largely forced by the season,
II