The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-06-22

MAKES TALK
Tells the People Of Lumberton
About Possibilities Of
South Mississippi.
TRUCK GROWERS
I. HAVE ORGANIZED
Business League Is Also Formed in
Progressive Little City and a New
Era Of Development Is Sure to
Follow.

Daily News Special.
Lumberton, Miss, June 22-In ac-'
cordance with arrangements made,
some time ago, Mr.. H. E. Blakeslee,.
Commissioner of Agriculture and Com
merce, came down from Jackson on the
Gulf and Ship Island train and met the
farmers and business men of this sec
ton Saturday afternoon.
Mr.. H. c. Yawn was made chairman
of the meeting, and among other things
he said.
"Mr. Blakeslee is here to talk to
us about organization. We need both
a Farmers and Truckers Association
and Business League. Furthermore,
we want to pull for the agricultural
high school, and we can best do that
through these organizations"
Mr.. Blakeslee spoke to the people
on organization and then spoke of the
needs of this, the South Mississippi
section of the state, as follows:
One of the needs is tri-country fair,
to- stimulate better farming, trucking
and stock raising.
Another need of the section is bet
ter facilities for handling our pro
ducts.
Perhaps the greatest need is to
;,,d,,oo rood roI;ah la @ flor. 70 oop,o
and take the lands which are now va
cant and bring them into cultivation.
Mr. Blakeslee made statement
concerning the productiveness Of the
soil of this section which seems to be
borne out by facts. He said the lands
here can be made to produce as mucn
cotton per acre as the Mississippi del
ia lands will produce. 4
aome Products of This Section.
Mr.. Blakeslee said this section is
peculiarly suited to sugar cane culture
and will produce-has produced--from
400 to $50 gallons per acre. This
syrup can easily be sold for 40 cents
per gallon net. If Properly canned, il
will keep indefinitely and caa he made
to net so cents per gallon.
No section of the country can pre-
duce such splendid sweet potatoes
and no crop will bring Better returns
than potatoes If kept until February
or March and then shipped to northern
markets.
The long summers and short win
tiers make this section especially good
for raising CATTLE. The chief barrier
being the cattle tick which takes ou
| of the pockets of the stock men of the
state from $1,000. 600 to $1,5O0,0O0 pei
annum. This parasite. he said was
to be exterminated and the work hat
already begun.
After Mr. Blakeslee's address a sym
postum of the keeping of sweet pota
toesawas heldaapd two important fact
brought out:
First, The bunch. yam is one Of thu
finest keepers grown in this section.
Second. Potatoes raised from vine
tinstead of slips keep better in this eli
mate.
One other fact developed. by tn
way, and that is that more potatoe
spoil from heat than from cold.
Farmers and Truckers Association
Organized.
Hhe Farmers and, Truckers Asst
Zion was organized with the follow
ing officers:
H /. E. Bass, president
T. L. venable, secretary-treasurer
A committee ON bylaws was al
pointed as follows;
T. B. Geiger, j. E. Byrd, A. !
Brooks, and the president and seer,
tary. A.
4 a. Business League was organize
/ with the following officers:
D. C. Camp, president
H. e. Risher, vice president.
T. L. venable, secretary-treasurer
4 The following bylaws committe
was appointed:
T. L. venable, DR.. w. w. Hall an
]. F. Howard
A meeting will be held Monda
night to take action toward securin
the agricultural high school,
Il There is school property here, whfc
it is understood will be donated I
the school, and with some building
and land in cultivation. With sue
encouragement as the school will r.
ceive from Lumberton citizens, con
petitors will have hard struggle