Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-01-14

standing upon its acres. A change has
taken place, and today there Is no
more valuable land in the State from
The truckers standpoint The Gulf
and Ship Island railroad was the
pioneer in opening up this vast coun-
try and bringing to the attention Of
farmers its possibilities Lands are
being put in cultivation orchards
planted, comfortable homes being
built, good stock raised and verify
the country is beginning to blossom
as the rose. 1t was a fitting tribute
indeed, that the Gulf and Ship Island
railway was awarded the grand prize
at the Corn and Cotton Carnival for
the most comprehensive exhibit of
Mississippi products. AS the greatest
promoter of this prosperity the road
richly deserved the recognition given.
The suite of rooms in tho old capitol
formerly occupied by the governor
was allotted the road for a display Of
products along its line, and every
available inch of space was filled with
the bounteous harvests from the fer
tile section trayersed. Under the
personal supervision of Industrial
Commissioner j II. Bousog and his
cstimable wife, together with valu-
able assistance from other interested
parties, the rooms were made espe-
'cially attractive and instructive 10 the
sight-seor, and they were always
filled 10 their capacity with admirers
Of the splendid display Several
columns would be necessary 10 give a
comprehensive description Of the hun
dreds of products shown, but there
could be found tho best Of all semi
tropical fruits, vegetables, flowers,
etc. Sugar cane and syrup were
giycn particular attention and 1t was
very timely from the fact that a great
deal Is planted with the best Of sue.
cess. No finer syrup was ever shown
than that In this exhibit, made from
cane and in the old openkettle style
Tho cutover pine lands yield pro-
fusely when planted in cane, and sig
nal importance is being given the in
dustry by the Gulf and Ship Island
railroad. Sweet potatoes were shown
that compared favorably with those
raised in any section Of the State
They were extra large, smooth and
fine in texture, and pronounced by
those who tried them as being a de.
licous table potato Second crop
Irish potatoes were shown that we're
excellent, and fresh string beans that
could not he seaten anywhere. In
the line of fruits the variety was OK
ceptionally large, and the specimens
fine in every respect Pears, persim-
mons, grapes, oranges. grape fruit,
lemons, pecans, figs and other fruits
were shown in great profusion. The
only bananas were in this exhibit and
elected the admiration Of all who saw
them. A banana bloom was quite
curiosity to nine.tenths Of those who
attended the carnival Field crops
were exhibited that established the
standing of the piney woods country
as desirable farming section. Splen-
did corn, with enormous ears were
all over the exhibit as decorations MS
well as displays Rice was shown
that had superior nowhere, and
raised without irrigation. Cotton
grows well on large portion Of that
section and IS the staple crop in many
counties, Cassava, new plant for
stoclffood, very rich in starch, and
especially nutriciOus, was on display
1t grows something like a sweet po-
tato and yields enormous amounts to
the acre. II Is not gathered to any eX-
tent, being left in the ground to be
rooted up by the hogs and eaten by
all farm animals, It promises 70 be-
come an important crop in South
Mississippi The naval stores OK
hlbit of the Gulf and Ship Island was
by far the best shown at the carnival
Turpentine, resin, tar and other
products of the pine We're on display
in every conceivable shape The i'm
portance of this industry along the
Gulf and Ship Island warranted the
attention shown IT, display of
native timbers was comprehensive
and the subject of much praise, The
Gulf and Ship Island did Itself proud
in the exhibit made, and the crowning
feature was a crayon portrait OF Capt
Jones' the man who put up the money
and gives all his time and attention
to the development pictured at the
carnival The good work is only in
It's infancy. The next few years will
show many times the accomplishment
of the past few. There is a great
future in store for that section, and
the Gulf and Ship Island Will prove a
potent factor in the development so
favorably begun
"How much cotton would cotton
picker pick If cotton picker would
pick cotton?"
Since the ending of the civil war
and the freeing of the negroes, the
South has been looking around for
some means to gather the cotton crop
without sending people down between
the rows with long sack and gather
ing the bolls one by one. The de-
mand for machine to pick the crop
has been emphasized in later years
upon the opening of so much rich land
in the delta and the bringing into
cultivation vast areas of prairies in
Texas. In both these sections much
more could be raised than gathered.
Numerous devices have been expert
mented with, but to no avail The
irreguarity of the growing crop
seemed to be a barrier to any me.
chanical device foi gathering it. AT
last it looks very much like machine
AdS DttU invented that Will NO AlIu
work, The Lowery picker has just
been gwen a trial at Shreveport, and
the result gave encouragement to the
promoters. 1t is said to be very sim
Pile and not liable to get out of fix,
The machine is mounted on wheels
and propelled by a gasoline engine.
Arms carrying a belt with teeth like
a common wool card, are managed
by boy one in each hand AS the
machine moves along the belt Is
touched to the open boil, the teeth
pulling the cotton out The operator
pays no attention to tho boil after
guiding the belt against it, but goes
ahead in turn guiding It against all
on the stalk. After pulling out the
open b9ll the cotton is carried up on
the machine and brushed off by an
other device into large sacks located
for the purpose Three boys with
belt In each hand ride on the machine,
making a total of six belts continu
ouHly cLgrying the cotton upward and