The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-08-12
A SUCCESSFUL SWEDISH FARMER.
He Says Mississippi is The Best Country
Under the Sun.

Captain j. F. Merry, general imn1i-
grafton agent for-the Illinois Central
railroad, is making great efforts to
secure immigration for the South.
| He is doing his best to enlist an inter-
est among the people of such foreign
countries as he thinks win be best
adapted to the South and her agricul-
tural and industrial development. Be-
low we give letter written by a well
known citizen of this county, which
Captain Merry is circulating in
Sweden. Mr.. Olson came to this coun-
try from Sweden when he was eleven
years old.
The following is the letter i'm full:
Elliott, Miss, July Is, 1905.
Mr.. j. f. Merry,
General immigration Agent,
Manchester, Iowa.
My Dear Sir:-In compliance with
your yequest, / am going to give you
Kind of outline of the resources that
now exist in old Mississippi, and more
especially in the central part, this be-
ing my home. / have lived in the
state thirty years, coming direct from
Sweden with my father. I started
out to farming (raising cotton), when
was was twenty-one years old with
5000. This money put in mules and
was compelled to borrow more money,
in order to carry on my farming oper-
ationS, at the rate of 80 per cent per
annum. After paying all expenses, L
cleared about 5000. l continued TO
rent, and was fortunate enough to get
I much larger and better place, until
1897. Then ] bought small place Of
$40 acres. Two years ago l bought
another good place Of 100 acres, and
besides | own and operate an up-to-
late gin and mill; and should my land
Ind other interests be placed upon the
market, | believe it would bring
lround $4,000.
| believe this is the best country
lnder the sun today for a poor man,
II one in moderate circumstances. As
n illustration, ] will tell you what I
lid on twenty acres Of Bermuda mead
wv. | ran during the spring. summer
nd early fall on the meadow. twenty
our head of sheep, seventy-five head
# hogs, six milch COWS, and on Sun
lays turned 8 head of horses on the
anne meadow. This kept all in good
hriving condition In June | sold
ny lambs at 81 per head When |
aid by my corn | planted every row
z pe.ase-ssI1a after 90 sl3erinarsSss
orn the '6t of September, I tur1sn
n my hogs, and after getting them
at on peas [ topped them Cff with an
utlay OF about 800 bushels of corn
efore putting them on the market.
Dut of my herd | sold tifty-four head
hat netted me $42O. From this you
an readily see that l made a nice
tule profit out Of my hogs.
We very seldom plant grass seed.
and Japan cloverS. while not
atural grasses, have been brought in
I'd are now all over the country, and
lake good pasture all during the
lmmer. | have great deal OF Ber-
luda in meadow that keep for hay,
hich nets me on an average OF SO
er acre.
The health of the country viii equal
ny part of The state, the year round
Nth few exceptions the winters are
lid and pleasant, while the summers
re generally warm. We always have
good breeze, and seldom do we have
night that a blanket doesn't feel
My individual health is
good.
Vegetables of all kinds grow here
lual to any part of the United States.
he soil and climate are especially
lapted to the growth of early straw
srries, tomatoes, cabbage and cucum-
srs. Fruits of all kinds do well, es-
ecially apples, peaches and plumbs.
In regard TO schools, / eacl0Se you =
clipping from the Memphis
Appeal, showing the prog
IS that Mississippi is making in her
hool system.
viii say that any time that l can
rye you in furnishing information
/ this line, call upon me.
With best wishes, | am,
Yours very truly,