The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1907-06-01
BY II. E. BLAKESLEE, JACKSON.

u ~
summer for the purpose of educating
all who desire it, along the lines of the
proper grading of cotton, the following
from an exchange is offered to show
something of the necessity for such a
work:
1.-THE Farmers Union has a member
ship of 10000 in Mississippi, so, $50 in
Arkansas and $4,000 in Tennessee, now
has State organizations in every cotton
State, where they have a thousand
warehouses for the purpose of storing
cotton unit, the market will justify the
minimum fixed annually by the Ma
tional Union. In view of the fact that
the farmers who produce the staple are
absolutely unacquainted with the diff
ferent grades and areyet at the mercy
of the cotton buyers, the great neces-
sity of III cotton grading school in
variousts sections of tine South issappar-
ent. 1 year was thu first To chat
q sch this character was ser at
tenn tell WAS AkHght at Dallas,
TexSSS NtBAk takaS khe membership
ofstfS SEmssa NfIsh is over 500, 600.
TheySay8n6H $psred to keep off the
falranarH million bales by the
systeps Nfmers%Union warehouses,
andsHkNscotton graded by producers
whpNsve been in the Farmers
sUnion cotton grading schools. In dis
scussiug the question, Mr.. Higgs stated
to a reporter hat there would probably
be over 100 farmers attending the Trl-
State Farmers Union Cotton Grading
School in Memphis which opens about
July l, and that the tuition and eX-
penses would be about $50 per pupil.
Headquarters for study, sampling and
grading has been arranged by Mr..
Montgomery, who has the matter in
charge"
Under the old system of handling cot
ton and allowing outside parties to de-
termine the price, the cry Of over-pro-
duction was worked at will to the detri-
ment of the planter. For instance, the
crop of 1904 was a little more than nine
and a half million bales and brought,
exclusive Of seed, S617, sol ,54S. The next
year, although there was a great decrease
in the cotton on hand and available
for use at the beginning Of the picking
season, the price was hammered by a
T Of thirteen and a half million
bales to receipts of S62S, 1914 $50. The
less than ten million crop of the year
before brought practically as much as
the big crop of 1905. The following
year, 1906, produced a crop Of nearly
eleven million bales hat brought $751;
720,435. The stock on hand for the
year closing May l, 1906, and on which
the price is ~predicated for the year
closing May l, 1907, as well as the indi-
cations for a yield, was hardly larger
than for the beginning of the year with
the bumper yield, but we do know that
the price suffered thereby. 1t is up TO
the farmers to arrange warehouses for
their cotton SO that the price cannot be
made to suit the fellows who have for
so long profited at the expense of the
producer.
The Mississippi Fair Association
was organized at the Office of the Com
missioner of Agriculture and Com
MERGE in jackson on the 10Th, repre-
~sentatives of a majority of the fairs Of
the State being present. The object OF
the organization is to bring the secre-
| taries of the fairs together at least
once a year, discuss ways and means Of
making the fairs better, securing cred
| liable exhibits, advertising the events,
fixing dates TO prevent conflict, etc.
| After formation of a temporary organ
ization and a thorough discussion of
the matter a permanent organization
was effected under the name as indi-
Gated above. H. E. Blakeslee was
| elected president and D. Wollerstein of
Yazoo City secretary, the secretaries
of the various county fairs joining the
body being vice-presidents, said vice
presidents, together with the president
and secretary, to be the governing
board. 1t is to be hoped that every
county fair will come into the organiza-
ton. There is no more active force for
the improvement of agricultural, hor-
t~icultural and stock-raising conditions
in the State than fairs, and every coun-
ty should hold an annual event of xome
character.
Superintendent Smith of Holmes is
pushing the corr clubs organized in his
county some time since. The list OF
premiums published last week in the
local papers is evidence OF his good
work as well as the liberality of the
business men of the county. This corn
club idea is one that deserves the sup.
port of every one interested in the
future welfare of Mississippi, and
Holmes is naturally looked to as the
leader of the movement.
Lauderdale is still pushing the prop
osition to improve the public roads,
and the good citizens are showing a