The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-03-09
A MOLASSES
PROPOSITION
2 Rankin Farmer Makes Very Good Sug.
gesfion. He Would Have the Peni-
Tertiary Board Of Control Lead off
in That Direction.

" - 0UuUuS, Ou0 or The most onor-
getlc and level.headed farmers Of the
Florence neighborhood in Rankin
county, was in the city yesterday and
stated among other things that q great
deal Of interest is being manifested in
his section over the proposition to 20
largely into diversified farming, and
to make sugar cane and molasses one
Of the chief crops. Mr.. Bouslog, the
Industrial agent Of the Gulf & Ship
Island railroad has been to Florence,
as has others Of the officers Of that
road, urging the farmers to diversity
and to get into the molasses raising
movement, but 80 far nothing has been
done.
''The trouble is,'' said Mr.. Stubbs,
that the farmers have not the means
or the cane to 60 largely into the bust
MISS Of molasses making, and it will
take them at least two years to get
q sufficient amount Of seed cane to
plant an acreage they consider ade-
quate for a cooperative mill. There
are few farmers who have been in the
habit Of producing more than enough
molasses than for home use and seed
for the next year, that requiring only
q few rows, and when it comes to the
planting Of cane by the acre, or in
Eve or ten acre cuts, as would be nec-
essary if under contract to provide for
. cannery, it means more than any
farmer in this section Of the country
can 60 up against on one years notice.
"Give me two years, says Mr..
Stubbs, and ! can save all che seed
cane that may be necessary to plant
five or ten or more acres, but can
not do SO this year, hence it would be
foolish and impracticaple for me to
guarantee to raise cane for co-ope-
rative mill, such as has been proposed,
and am in no worse condition in
that respect than the average farmer
Of our section Of the state. However,
! am Of the opinion that there is good
money in the cannery. and am per-
fectly willing to 90 into it,.
Mr.. Stubbs has some advanced ideas
on the subject of making molasses.
He would like to see the state Of Mis-
sissippi lead off in the matter by ex-
perimenting on the state farm in Ran
kin county. He believes that the
state board Of control would do we'll to
invest few thousand dollars in
first class ,nolasses mill--one OF Ca
pacity sufficient to grind up and pre-
pare for market all the cane that
could be produced within five or SIX
miles Of the convict farm. He would
have the Rankin farm made q model
farm-one that could be cited as
pattern for the balance Of the farmers
Of the community In which it happens
to be located. The suggestion will
str ike the average farmer as being
good and sensible one. What are the
ccnvicts for anyhow? The farmers OF
Mississippi have right to expect that
they shall be put to such use as will
benefit instead of injuring them, as
they do when they make several
thousand bales Of cotton, thus adding
to the very disastrous surplus crop,
as was produced last yeai.
Mr.. StuSbs is one Of those progress
sive young farmers who reads the
newspapers and is always ready and
willing to learn something. He would
have the convict farm made model
farm, believing that the state is bet-
ter able to standl the cost OF expert
ments than are any number Of private
individuals. He suggnsts that the stase
invest in all the seed cane that it can
secure for plant ing this year, ana De
prepa red next , ear to sell the neigh
borir.g farmers what seed cane they
may want under guarantee to plant 9
cert ain numper Of acres, the produc'
to 'Oe hauled to the molasses mill 6
be established by the board OF controi.
Mr.. Stubbs has the correct sdea' ano
it would be to the everlasting beneh'
Of the state If all his neighpors wouie
join forces with him at once and wof'
out the molasses problem as ne sue
gests. through state aid, or 10 SOM
other way.
| Mr.. Stubbs says that one ms neien
bors made $1,000 last yeaF ialsln'
truck which be, marketed IN JACKSON
that he will Plant 25 acres tbis yea!
and several OF hers will initiate q
example.
| LOST Sunday, Feb. %. lsOo' 3
tween Pelah atohie and Watts noft
Rankin. pocket boob containing w
50 in bills and &5 ip gold, oid Waec
oh;Ain and &. Of 2. ksceipt' also n,, cnso
ior piece Of bagl leee g 1aMa1s IN, !
Honee. a liberal reward Will
- - R2Aw