The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-06-21

Orange Herrlngton OF ElllSVllle oho
of the most successful and practical
farmers in the state furnishes the fol-
lowing excellent articles on diversi-
fication and rotation. They are well
worth a careful perusal by all:
"Diversifcation Ask the first far
mer YOU meet what is diversifcation.
It is dollars to dimes he can't tell.
Editors who have undertaken to pull
the farmers out of holes are to blame.
Diversity, they say; then they will
with the next breath say that diver
sifcation and rotation are the saliva
I ton of the farmer, and I doubt II
I one could give an intelligent answer.
Diversifcation means a division Of
crops. We piney woods farmers are
diversified farmers. Probably we do
not go far enough witk the division;
that is, we do not divide up the crops
as equally as we should. To be a
! diversified farmer in every sense the
word- implies we should divide our
crops some thing like this: Twenty
acres is enough for any one man,
maybe twice enough. Plant five to
cotton, five to corn, five to oats to be
followed by five to peas and five acres
to be planted to cane, irish and sweet
potatoes, garden, orchard etc. For
me, twenty acres is too much, l pre-
fer twelve, and am fool enough to try
my hand with twelve next year divid-
ed as follows: Three acres to cotton,
three to corn, three to oats to be fol-
lowed by peas, and three acres for
sugar cane, sweet potatoes, irish po-
tatoes, melons and orchard. That is
diversifcation, it means division Of
crops-divided if you please.
"Rotation-You need not talk to
any but diversified farmers about ro
tation for no other can rotate. Rota-
ton follows or goes with diversified
ton. We diversity to make farming
profitable keep from putting all
your eggs in one basket, and we ro-
tate to keep up the fertility of the soil.
We will take a wheel; place four
cards on it. On the first we will write
cotton, on the second corn, on the
third oats and on the fourth truck.
We begin to turn the wheel at COZ
ton; when the wheel is turned one
fourth around we arrive at corn, and
we have rolled the wheel over one
time We arrive at the card labelai
cotton where we began. These cards
as you see, do not lose their place on
the wheel; each one represents year
and turn of wheel represents four
years. This represents four year
system of rotation. In France the
farmers practice a four-year system
Of rotation, but one year the land re-
mains fallow, that is, it grows up to
weeds and is not cultivated at all.
Here in the South, a three years sys-
tenn of rotation is more practicable.
Corn, oats and cotton. The farmer
with fifteen acres would run it thus;
one third of each of the three crops
named and each to occupy the land
one year in thre'. +"
Mr.. Herrington's article is plain
and to the point. He is gifted with
the faculty of making himself un-
derstood. He don't say whether the
pea crop should be cut or turned un-
der. Conditions would likely settle
this question. IF the soil was in need
Of the replenishing power of the peas
they could be turned under, otherwise
the crop could be harvested, making
four from the land in three years.
The U. S. Governmnt's acceptance
of Gulfport harbor together with the
refunding to Capt. Jones Of $150,000,
portion Of what has been expended
upon its construction, means a great
deal to Mississippi. 1t means in the
first place that we have two recog-
uized deep water harbors on our coast
line, Pascagoula having been so rec
ognized for years and the subject OF
fairly liberal appropriations at the
hands of Uncle Sam for improvement
and maintenance. It means that in
the future years of great business
prosperity brought about by the co1-
struction Of the Panama canal and the
detection of trade through southern
ports, Mississippi will have two fol
the handling of this business instead
Of one. It means that In our coast
} line there will be more than one large
commercial center and other benefits
too numerous to mention.
| Poplarville is engaged IN building
r large college for the higher education
of the youth of that section. Grount
, has been purchased and plans are be
ing made for main building to cos
not less than $4,000. The cause O.
/ education is being looked after prop
erly by our brethren of the pin'
woods.
' Lexington has organized and pu
: into working order one of those tow
: and community building organization
0 known as building and loan asso
Z citation. A number Of the best an
( most enterprising citizens Of that ex
1 cellent town are interested in the pro
} iect and its success is assured. Their