The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-02-22
BIZ II. e. BLAKESLEE, JACKSON.

ohO PuOlAS SStlOOiS, dIIu Is utSllOuS u
knowing more of the success that ha.
attended the effort SO far and the pros.
pect for the future. Hon. Dick Cheat.
ham, who is still a Mississippian, al
though manager of the Cotton Journal
at Atlanta, Ca, was in Jackson a few
days since and asked the writer for a
short article on the movement and its
advantages. The following was sub.
mitted:
1.-THE organization of boys corr
growing contests among the public
school pupils of Mississippi was first
suggested early last year by Supt. w.
Fl. Smith of Holmes county. The move
ment had been on foot for a number OF
years in several of the Northern States
with the very best of results. So soon
as Superintendent Smith made the sug-
! geStiOn the writer at once saw in it the
opportunity to do a great work in Mis-
sissippi, and Immediately took up the
proposition with the view to extending
it to other counties in the State. State
Superintendent Whitfield. the A. g. NJ.
College officials and the representatives
of the United States department of
agriculture stationed in Mississippi,
gave a hearty support to the project.
although very late in making the
start last year eight counties were or
gained and the work fairly launched.
OF these eight counties six came
through a successful termination.
Holmes being the first to organize, and
better acquainted with the work, natur-
ally made the greatest success. The
cut herewith gives an idea of the
Holmes county exhibit at the State fair
held at Jackson. Out of 120 boys start
ing in the contest at the beginning of
the year., 81 came up at the general
roundup with an exhibit, and this pic
ture shows the $40 ears of corn entered
~ the school boys of Holmes county.
The State fair management offered a
handsome list of prizes 70 encourage
the work for exhibits at the fair. These
exhibits were undoubtedly the most
popular of any in the agricultural
building. The people evidenced the
deepest interest in what had been &C
complished by the school boys of the
State, and to this feature can be largely
attributed the increased interest shown
for the present year.
"The writer has calls already to visit
a dozen counties hat will make the
effort this wear that were not in the
contest last year., and the prospect at
present is that not less than % of the rs
counties in Mississippi, possibly 30,
will inaugurate this splendid movement
this spring. The county superintend-
ents of public instruction are wide
awake to the Importance of the move
ment and the excellent results that it
offers, and the public is fast coming to
realization of what its general adop-
ton would mean to Mississippi during
the next ten years. The State superin-
\. & NJ. College and United
States workers are also more active
than ever to push the movement to
every county in the State.
1.-The results shown by a first effort
nave been highly satisfactory. Where
superintendent Smith had 120 boys to
make the start last year he has 600 to
10 so this year and other counties in
proportion. AS high as $50 bushels of
,Orn> to the acre was grown by some of
he boys last year, and it is confidently
that this mark will be passed
his year. 1t is carrying the develops
nent of our agricultural resources right
MO the public schools of the State,
raining the boys and young men to be-
ONE good farmers, instilling into them
love for the farm that can be done in
lmost no other way, teaching them {
hat there is something better for the
who studies his profession and
trives to excel, satisfying them with s
Mississippi and what the State offers t
or the expenditure of energy and the c
Sc of brains, thereby preventing them I
seeking homes in other States, 7
hat will prevail in the future when the t
lrmer will be as we'll educated as the
lwyer, the doctor, the preacher or the |
leml e. of any profession. r
eff by this system the average pro- r
uction of corn in Mississippi a be in a
reased onc-third of a bushel per acre
year. the increase will be worth u
IOre than one-milliOn dollars to the &
tate per annum, then the result in this d
ay alone will be worth striving for, il
say nothing of the benefits to be de- p
we'd in many other ways. 1t is un- b
oubtedly n of the greatest move
enrs ever inaugurated in a State that
rs always been on agricultural one o
I'd always will be-. 1t is deserving of o
liberal support and hearty approval IL
the people of a State, it makes no s.
ference what may be their business" 81
The poultry business in Mississippi
assuming greater proportions day by .,
W. The fanciers of thoroughbred o
lickens are increasing very fast and !.
e industry will in a few wears he one IL