Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-09-12


Mississippi at present Il has been
thus for some time. and instead of grow
Ing better Is getting worse year by year.
=: has been the subject OF much discus
sion and experiment for some time, the
success attending these varying. 1--we
would have Greater Mississippi ia
truth, il Is necessary that our axricul-
tursl resources be develnSsd And the
lanfs made to produce Of the world's
needs Communications on this sahjees
are invited. realizing that it i an i'm
portsn, matter worthy % careful con-
sideratio1- Hon. Clarence II. Poe. Of
Raleigh. y. e.. editor q the Prp-res-
slEe Farmer. one % the bes. .gricul-
tGral publications IN the Sorth. recent
ly made a trip through this section for
the purPo~e Of studying the labor
problen- lie wrote an interesting and
instructive letter on the subject from
Greenville that was given vide public
ity and attracted a great deal OF aiien-
ton He wruse the editor of this 5e-
parszeut A. follows
." A reeent trip through the South has
couviDeed ne ihas the sections Ehere
snail whi.e farmers predorninAts are
making twice as rapid progress A. are
the sections where the nexroes are in
the majority. ! an writing TO ask your
opinion o, this view. / Know a county.
for example. where in ten years the
uorthess. section. with small white
farmers, has increased and values from
:. 20 s-5 per acre; the southeas, corner
land. with nsgrnes butcherinc il. has
decrea~e1 from els 10 sl0. wha; l.
your ooserva,ioog Are the negroes
keeping UP the fertility % the lands
they farm Are the counties where
whites precOuinate making more pro
gress in wealth and industry than the
black belt countless DO you not ind
that in many sections white people have
taken hold On poorer land and beaten
negroes on richers Please run over
the subject in your mind and give ne
your opinion with jus; a. many specific
instances and examples as you can
think OF, and assure you that the IA
vor will be greatly appreciated. -
There Is but one way in which Mr..
Poe. letter can be answered. His de-
ductions are correct in the general
sense of the word. The experience of
dozens of communities in Mississippi
could be produced to prove it. While
all lands have advanced some, the
greatest increase will be found in COM
munities titled by white people: RIDGE
land. Crystal Springs and others as an
instance. Negro labor is becoming
more unreliable, and some plan must
be conceived to supply a substitute.
The most feasible one yet offered Is to
cut the big plantations into small farms
and induce good white people from
other sections TO own and work them.
There may be others. Let it be known
il you have a solution to offer for this
vexed problem.
W. NJ. Bamberg of the United States
Department of Agriculture reports a
pleasing state OF affairs in Madison
county. W. B. Kinney has threshed
this year a total of 5000 bushels OF
oats in section where practically none
were threshed last season Il is also
stated that the acreage for next year
will be doubled. The yield averaged
35 bushels per acre. which in itself is
an item of interest. Mr.. Bamberg fur
ther states that the straw, which IS or
dinarily an item of loss, was baled and
sold on contrac, for IS per ton. For
what it is to be used was not stated,
but the fact that /, has a value is graft
flying indeed. This denotes healthy
state of affairs in the section surround
ing Canton. Ii means in the first place
that stuff has been raised that would
ordinarily have taken 81, coo out o..
the country next season This much
money has been saved. Then. too. it
means that the spirit of diversifcatiou
has gained foothold that will increase
as time goes by. The section that
raises oats, hay, hogs, mules and other
farm necessities, is sure TO take its
place in the list OF those most prosper
Gus and with happy and satisfied peO-
pie.
Those interested in trucking around
Brookhaven held = meeting and dis
cussed plans for increasing the busi-
ness for the coming year. Practical
men were on hand and gave the benefit
Of their experience and the matter o;
transportation was thoroughly thresh-
ed out II IS conceded that the section
around Brookhayeu IS adapted to the
trucking industry, and with the spIen-
did means of quick transportation af-
forded by the Illinois Central railroad,
the business can and will be made one
of the most important and profitable in
that community.
A gentleman named Lee, and living
near Raymond, Kinds county, has re-
Gently discovered that he owns bed Of
gravel that is Of incalculable value. 1t
extends over q number Of acres of land,
is Of unknown depth and the gravel
rolls down clean and ready for use with
out washing. There are likely many
such valuable discoveries TO be made in
Mississippi. We know little as vet of
the resources of our great common
wealth.
Do something for your State before
the sun SETS Don't put it OF.
Eupors is getting into the educational
column with the building OF an up-to-
date house for accommodating the
schoo. children of that thrifty burg.
A town IS often judged by the appear
ance OF its public buildings, and Eupors
proposes to be adiudged on the pro-
gressive side.
The assessment rolls being received
at the auditors office indicate healthy