The Tupelo journal., 1907-03-01
It has been too truthtully stated that

as an opiate on our people and put them
to sleep, but on the contrary as a slim
ulant urging them to renewed effort to
perpetuate the present state OF affairs.
The campaign i~naugurated two years
ago for a better system of handling our
great money crop, cotton, has borne
good fruit and should be kept up with
out cessation. The education OF our
citizens to the highest standard carries
with it safety in the future, and there
should be no laxity in this movement.
Voting intelligently upon all questions
and for men of known worth and in
tegrity is an important matter that is
deserving of careful consideration. Mis-
sissippi is a great State, well governed,
and as has been stated, one OF only five
in the Union entirely free from graft.
Then let's redoubie u energies tc
keep it so. Such a distinction is far
more preferable than to have accumu
lated millions of wealth secured by
questionable methods and absolutely
COutIOliiuR lcSIoiduiOi w "A
of the plain people.
Supt. Mitchell and Prof. Donaldson OF
Pontotoc have fallen in with the corn
growing procession and held a meeting
at Pontotoc Saturday to inaugurate the
move. The boys of the county are to
enter the contest as has already been
outlined in this department. The mer-
chants of Pontotoc will offer a hand-
some list of prizes and the exhibit Will
likely be brought to Jackson In NO
vember for competition for the several
hundred dollars worth OF premiums
that will be offered at the State fair for
the benefit of the boys. The interest
being shown is very gratifying to those
who are sincerely interested in the de-
velopment of our great State. Our
average production of corn to the acre
is estimated at less than seventeen
bushels, but with a few years of such
interest as is shown we may confidently
expect to see it increased to near
double that amount. 1t is a commend
able move that is deserving OF hearty
encouragement.
To stimulate interest in the keeping
and training OF ~bloodhounds for hunting
criminals, several handsome cash
prizes will be offered at the State fair
to the winners of a series of races.
There are more than half dozen packs
in the State to compete, and 1t IS prob
able that this many, Or more, will be
in the race. Races of about five miles
in length and over different ground n
under varying conditions will be pro-
vided. A good pack OF hounds is OF in
calculable value in preventing crime
almost as much so as in running down
the criminals. Every county in the
State should keep a well trained and
exercised pack.
Monroe can be safely said to be the
banner county for the production OF
alfalfa in Mississippi. 1t has proven
one of the most profitable crops that
can be grown in that section. Dr.. w.
w. Watkins has purchased 500 pounds
of seed for his prairie plantation and
will have a large acreage this year.
DR.. Henderson cleared S275 on three
acres last year and will have an acre
age of 54 this year. DIR. G. Catchings
will plant so acres this year also. AL
falfa is destined to be n of Missis-
sippi's principal crops in a few years
and the prevailing price for hay will
continue its proftableness.
E. A. Brooks of Lumberton gathered
from his garden a mess of green peas
during the week of February IL. He
had planted a small quantity to see
what they would do and the result was
shown in a splendid yield at this early
date. Why will good people remain in
the frozen regions of the North when
such surroundings are to be had here;
a land so fertile, a climate so mild and
a people SO genial and whole-souled?
For the hundredth time we assert that
no State in the Union offers so much to
the man with brain, energy and a small
amount of money as does Mississippi.
Philadelphia is very hopeful of an
other railroad in a reasonably short
period of time. The Meridian Board
of Trade is actively pushing the project
OF an extension of the lumber road from
Mehan Junction to meet the road being
built for logging purposes from Phila-
delphia. There is little doubt that
shortly these lines will be united in a
freight and passenger service road from
Meridian to Philadelphia. 1t would
tap fine country and prove profitable as
an investment to the wners.
The farmers have been enjoying a
pleasant spell of weather that has been
taken advantage of on all hands to
make preparations for the coming crop.
Much breaking of land has been done,
fences improved and other work of a
desirable nature attended to. Our
Mississippi farmers are using better
methods in the handling of their crops
than ever before and their prosperous
condition is largely the result of this
advancement.
Mississippian Selected.
W. p. Armstrong, of ~Coffeeville, has
been selected as one of the debaters to