The Tupelo journal., 1907-06-07
BY II. e. BLAKESLEE. JACKSON.

OanCe VI corn lor ali mas Deeu
preached with increasing force for
years, and the geater number OF Mis-
sissippi planters are doing that very
thing, but it appears that the necessity
1t looks as if those who buy corn next
winter and spring will be compelled to
pay an %exorbitant price, not less than
n dollar per bushel, if that reason
able. The reasons given for this are
that wheat is short something like 100,-
100000 bushels and has jumped to more
than one dollar per bushel and the price
of flour will call for a larger consump-
ton of corr for bread. Then. the sea-
o for corn in the Northwest is open
ing up badly, being unpropitious in
every way, and with the narrow margin
existing between planting time and the
frost in the fall, the prospects for a
large crop in the corn belt is not at all
inviting. The demand for export is
growing year by year, and a consider
able increase is required for that alone.
So it would seem that it especially
stands Mississippians in hand to be sure
of enough corn at home to care for
their farms. The prospect for an 10
normally high price for cotton may be
as good as reported, but If the corn is
not made at home a twelve-cent cotton
crop would be largely decreased in
value if we have to pay a dollar for the
corn necessary to run the farms.
Water Valley citizens have awaken
ed to the fact that organization of the
business men was necessary to look
after the interests of that enterprising
city. A business league was recently
organized with Mr.. j. D. Peacock as
A large number of the best men of the
city enlisted in the movement and will
go to work to make Water Valley big
ger and better. One of the first moves
was to locate the Farmers Union ware
house and the effort was successful.
Other matters of Importance will be
taken up and handled, among them an
extension of the railroad now running
as far as Calhoun City to Water Valley.
The action of those good people is
worthy of emulation by all who would
see their communities prosper as they
should, and which can only be brought
about by cooperation and persistent
effort.
Considerable activity by the parties
interested in the new railroad from
Jackson up the Pearl river has been
shown recently, and those to be bene-
flied by the move are more hopeful
that work will begin soon or it's actual
construction. This line will penetrate
the largest section of the State that is
without a railroad and develop a u
try that is rich both in timber and
farming lands. The section to be trav-
ersed is already thickly populated.
some of the best communities in the
South being included, but they are of
course anxious for quicker communica-
ton with the outside world and a means
of getting to and from market. The
prospect for this dream to be realized
seems to be excellent at this time.
Crop conditions as reported from
Louisiana and Texas are, if anything,
worse than in Mississippi. The excess
sive rains nave come to those States as
,,o1l orJ nm ton nf thiS tho hn11 xUnaui1
began to come out months ago and are
waiting in millions to attack the first
squares to form. 1t seems that the
farmers in those States face conditions
far worse than in Mississippi, and that
the prospects for ven IN average crop
are very slim indeed. While a cotton
eros is extremely difficult to estimate,
the writer believes that nothing can
happen that could bring this years crop
to an unusually high figure, and that
the planter should easily secure twelve
cents or more for what is produced.
, B. w. Mathis of Crystal Springs cut
and sold SIS 900 worth of cabbage this
spring from so acres of land, and now
has the land planted in other crops
with the prospect for a proportionate
yield. While the price received for
cabbage this spring has been abnor-
mally high, the crop is a safe one and
profitable. Mississippi offers more to
the mar with brains and energy than
any State in the Union, and it is singu-
lar that any one would leave here to go
West and seek homes in the newer
States. This emigration has lessened
greatly during the past few years, and
it is to be hoped that it will entirely
cease in the ~nearsfuture. Use your in
fuence to keep our young men and
women in Mississippi to aid in the work
of developing our wonderful resources
that are not excelled by any State.
Congressman Livingston of Georgia
is very hopeful that the South will win
in the fight against the cotton exchange
of New York, and is now in Washing
ton personally conducting the prosecu-
ton. He says: "We are sure to win
our fight and bring the exchanges back
to a legitimate method of doing bust
ness, which will mean a decided reform
in their present contracts" This is an
important matter to the cotton planters
of the South, and the parties making
the fight deserve the counsel and CO.