Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1905-01-12

set"f thceHt AoF the tim Der
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 couu-
try and bringing 10 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. II was a fitting tribute
indeed. that the Gulf aud Shin Island
railway was awarded the grand prize
AZ tho 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 the 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 filed with
the bounteous harvests from the fer.
tile section traversed. Under the
personal supervision Of Industrial
commissioner J. II. Bouslog and his
estimable wife. together with valu-
aDie assistance from other Interested
parties. the rooms were made espe-
clally attractive and instructive u the
slsnt-seer. and they were always
hlied TO their capacity with admirers
OF the splendid display. Several
columns would be necessary to give n
comprehensive description OF the hun.
dreds OF products shown. but there
could be found the best OF all semi.
tropical fruits. vegetables. flowers
etc. Sugar cane and syrup were
given particular attention. and II 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 open-kettle style.
Inc cut-over pine lands yield pro-
fusely when planted in cane, and sig
nal Importance is being given the IN
dustry by the Gull 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
line In texture. and pronounced BY
those who tried them as being a de-
ncious table potato. Second crop
Irish potatoes were shown that were
excellent. and fresh string beans that
could not be beaten anywhere. In
the line of fruits the variety was ex-
ceptionally large. and the specimens
nne 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 a
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 as
well as displays. Rice was shown
that had superior nowheEe-aRd
raised without irrigation. Cotton
grows well on a large portion of that
section and is the staple crop in many
counties. Cassaya. a new plant for
stockfood, 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. IL 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. II promises to be-
come an important crop in South
Mississippi. The naval stores ex-
hibit of the Gulf and Ship Island was
by far the best shown at the carnival.
Turpentine. resin. tar and other
products of the pine were on display
in every conceivable shape. The i'm
portanee of this industry along the
Gulf and Ship Island warranted the
attention shown it, The display of
native timhers 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
its 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 a cotton
picker pick II a 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
irregularity of the growing crop
seemed to be a barrier to any me
chanical device fcf gathering it. At
last it looks very much like a mae hine
has been invented that will do the
work The Lowery picker has Just
been given a trial at Shreveport. and
the result gave encouragement to the
II 10 Sdiu " Ut very oitl
pie. and not liable to get out of fix
The machine is mounted on wheels
and propelled by gasoline engine.
Arms carrying a belt with teeth like
. common wool card. ars managed
by a 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 the 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 a
belt In each hand ride on the machine.
making a total of six belts eontinu-
ousls earrying the cotton upward and