The Tupelo journal., 1907-03-08
BIZ H. e. BLAKEsLEE, JACKSON.

Supt. w. Fl. Smith of Holmes county
has cause to be proud of the suspicious
beginning given the movement for the
promotion OF corn growing among the
boys of the public schools OF that county.
The meeting held at Lexington on the
23d ult. was a splendid success. Near
ly two hundred boys, besides an equal
number Of ladies and gentlemen, were
present. Addresses were made by
Prof. Perkins of the A. & MMA. s.
Meharg of the U. S. department OF
agriculture, State Supt. Henry Whit
field and the writer. Unusuale interest
was shown by all concerned, and there
is little doubt of the success that will
attend the venture being made by Supt.
Smith. His is the first club OF the kind
to be permanently organized in the
State, but a number of others will
closely follow. 1t is a movement signifi-
can't of q great deal. Interest in a bet
terment of conditions in general along
agricultural lines is fast growing in
magnitude and the result will no doubt
be gratifying in the extreme. Our
people are awakening to the necessity
of an education to make good farmers
and are demanding increased facilities
from year to year. The proposition for
an agricultural high school in each
congressional district will be strongly
backed when the legislature meets
again, and it should be. With the es-
Establishment of such schools, the edu-
cation of our farmer boys in the right
way and improved methods employed,
Mississippi would bloom as a rose.
Then, too, it promises to a X away
from farm life the drudgery thai has
characterized it for years and make 1t
more inviting. Farmers will even
tually be just as well educated as law
yers or doctors, and as able to look out
for themselves, a condition that is fast
coming about. When this is a fact the
farm will be more inviting than the
crowded professions and more than
crowded commercial fields. Speed the
day.
Outside of the vexed labor question
Mississippi is enjoying a period OF pros
perity that is nothing short of wonder
full. However there are those who
continue to complain although such are
not so Common as formerly. The inc
qualities can be rubbed out by judicious
and persistent effort, and it is the duty
of every man to qualify himself for a
part in the rubbing process. The writer
listened to two distinguished gentlemen
not many days since addressing public
meetings. Both outlined the inequali-
ties and proposed a remedy. One said
that it was to educate our people and
the other that it was to vote. Both
were unqualifedly correct. Educate
first and then vote right. A few years
of intelligent, educated voting will
right all that is not right just now.
Mississippi is still furnishing a large
crop of suckers to bite at fake schemes
of every description offered by slick
artists who should be doing time in the
~penitentiary. Fertilizer receipts by
which valuable composts may be made
for one-tenth of what they are claimed
to be worth, histories of the country
which are enabled to be sold at panic
prices on account of the collapse of
some mythical publishing firm, bio
graphical compendiums of great men
whose greatness is assured and space
given upon the subscription price of
the book, etc. 1t would be we'll for our
people to steer clear of all solicitors
along these lines and quit trying to get
something for nothing, as in nine cases
out of ten they are fakes pure and SIM
Pile, and the subscriber gets little or
nothing for his money.
AS has been stated in this depart
ment time and again, the building OF
the Panama canal means a great deal
to the South and to Mississippi. Evil
dences of the truth of this are fast coming
to the front. Only last week announce
ment was made that a Mississippi lum-
Der concern was expanding a million
dollars on its plant for the purpose of
supplying the facilities for furnishing
an enormous amount of lumber for
which contract had been secured. The
next few years will see a great change
in the railroad map of the country,
numbers of the great commerce carry
ing lines that now go from East to West
being changed to the South.
= Truck farmers in Mississippi will
look more closely after the home market
this year than ever before. Too many
times they have overlooked the fact
that they could get more for their stuff
at home han after taking out the cost
of transportation to Northern markets.
OF course, the home market would not
consume q considerable quantity, but
its demand is we'll worth looking after
by the truckers.
Waynesboro is not satisfied with the
recent installation of a telephone sys-