The Grenada sentinel., 1907-03-16
ByH. E. BLAKESLEE. JACKSON.

out by President Harvle Jordan OF the
Southern Cotton Associations:
/ "The cotton-growers Of the South
| are urged to adopt the, policy OF di-
versified farming under an intensive
system for the crop year of 1907. On
| account. of labor conditions and high
| prices. for all kinds of supplies, the ex-
tensive culture of cotton at the expense
of the production of necessary food
supplies on the farm is policy which
has lohg since proved suicidal to the
| average cotton7growcr. IA general re-
duction this year of ten per cent. in the
total cotton acreage planted last year
and an increased acreage of ten per
cent. in food supplies will to- a very
great extent solve many OF the present
perplexing problems which confront
Southern cotton-growers. Every effort
should be eXerted by each individual
aotton-grower this year to steer clear OF
the credit system and establish a cash
basis of trading. The credit system is
responsible for the enormous receipts
of spot cotton during the fall and early
winter, which always tends to depress
prices.
1T viii be difficult to systematic
the warehousing and financing of spot
cotton so as to regulate the supply so as
to meet the actual and legitimate de-
mands of consumption so long as the
credit system honeycombS the South as
it does today. There is little hope of
relief from the iniquities of the credit
system so long as cotton-growers per-
sist in keeping their corncribs and
smokehouses in the West, and using
their local supply merchants as the me-
dium through which the purchase and
distribution Of the necessary staple
commodities are made.
"Solve the labor problem by plant
ing fewer acres, cultivate and fertlflze
better and use the latest and most ap-
proved farming implements and labor
saving devices. Solve the credit sys-
tenn by providing the necessary food
supplies at home. Solve the question
of marketing the crop for fair and
profitable prices by retaining the owner
| ship of the staple after it is made, and
placing it on the market only when
prices are satisfactory. The planting,
| cultiveting and harvesting of the crops
can be done by individual action. Mar
keting, however, rust be done under
modern methods of compact organiza-
| =: for
a broader expanse of diversified plant
| ing this spring, do not forget the
| equally important matter OF cementlng
your local organizations and making
the right kind of preparations for sys-
tematizing the sale of the crop next
season. A crop which cannot be sold
proftably to the producer is not worth
the time and labor expended in its pro-
duction. Let every man do his duty in
1907, and win the success to which his
great vocation in the field of production
entities him.
A Delta Fair, to be held at Green
vile in the fall, was launched on Mon
| day of last week and the active work Of
preparation is going forward with all
haste. The capital stock was deter
mined upon at $25, 600 and solicitors are
now taking subscriptions to the same.
! 1t is confidently expected that no
| trouble will be experienced in raising
| the amount. The section of country to
be represented at this fair is something
like 200 miles in length by so in width
and the richest of rich alluvial land.
A display of products that can be ex-
celled nowhere can be made, and those
| interested promise that it will be done.
Seven different forage crops will be
| displayed from tho farm, while corn
and other commodities will compare
with those raised anywhere Hogs that
will look we'll alongside those from any
section will be shown, as will also be
horses and COWS. Features peculiarly
possessed by the Delta will be brought
out strong, and a show is promised that
will pay the people from all sections of
the State to go to see.
| There is an interesting row on be-
tween one of the Gulfport and one of
the Biloxi papers as to which section
can grow the biggest turnips. Gulf
port showed up with a turnip that
weighed four or five pounds, and now
comes Biloxi with one weighing six
pounds and raised by Charlie Wells,
one weighing seven pounds and raised
by Charlie AndeSson, and others OF
more or less Importance. 1t is up to
Gulfport to come again strong in the
turnip line and defend areputation that
was first founded on lumber. 1t is in
teresting to note that the country
around both towns will grow splendid
vegetables and the contention between
our newspaper brethren is only en-
phasizing the fact.
There is an increasing interest in the
Farmers Union and the much-needed
reforms it has undertaken to bring