Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-02-27

substantial encouragement to the cusl'
petitive crop growing contests being in.
auguraied by Offering small am1un.
Of money for prizes The bill wac re-
ferred and It j. To b. hoped that will
not be the last Of ii. Il ought to pas
and become law. President Mctsae
Of the Rankin county board suggested
the plan and found an enthusiastic sup
porter Ia the person Of Judge Norrell
While it may be that the legislative
bodies will look upon the prop psed
measure favorably. IL j. safe 20 assume
that many will oppose its passage
This work has been tried in iew
counties for one year with splendid re-
suits and the original number will be
more than trebled for the coming year
u each board in the seventy-eight coua-
ties oi Mississippi contributed the sum
OF fifty dollars the aggregate would b.
s3.p0O. II by thi, means the average
production OF corn was increased only
, One-thiri Of bushel per acre. the heu-
eft To Mississippi in actual dollars
would he more than one million. Pretty
| good investment this. /; i highly
probable that the result would he still
greater, but this figure will do for the
present. Is it not worth trying forr
Il would be well for the legislators to
consider the fact that Mississippi has
done by far too little work OF this char
acter in the past and that the tine to
begin 10 do better is right now. This
Is one Of the means to be employed in
keeping our young men at home and in
surfing their services for the develop
ment OF our resources. More than one
hundred thousand Mississippians have
gone 10 Texas and made their homes /
when We needed them right here and 1
offered just as much or more for the /
expenditure Of energy and the exercise /
Of brains. Let's put stop to this and 4
the bill offered BY Judge Norrell is a
step in that direction should it become
a law.
The house has passed the Afford bill 1
providing for county departments OF
agriculture and the senate committee
has fayorably reported it, A bill by
the same author is being considered to
establish an agricultural high school in
each Of the eight congressional dis
tricts. Bills for the protection OF cot
ton from the time it leaves the gin I'M
I'll it Is loaded on the ship for export
have been introduced and il looks as II
the present law-making body would do
something OF substantial nature for
the agricultural masses OF Mississippi.
II is too frequently said that the pro-
fessional men are compelled to pass the
laws favorable to the farmer, but this
rule does not hold good with the pres
ent body. The farmers themselves .re
taking an interest and looking after
their affairs. They fully appreciate
the necessity for such reforms and a
large number in both houses are giving
the measures looking toward them all
assistance possible.
y friend in conversation with the
writer few days since said that he had /
a measure in mind TO encourage fairs
and competitive exhibitions of agricul-
ture, horticulture and live stock, but .
tina; he would not attempt to get it /
through on account of the rough road I
he knew that it would encounter from /
the very persons most to be benefited. /
The present body is composed OF men 1
who apparently realize the fact that
Mississippi must expect her future /
greatness 10 come from the develop. |
ment of her agricultural resources aud |
have shown a more liberal spirit toward |
measures looking to that end. They |
appreciate the fact that our State is be- |
ing continually drained of good citi.
zens by States that are more liberal |
in encouraging them in their chosen |
vocatlons and are continually Offering |
Inducements for good settlers 10 come |
and live with them.
II Mississippi had been as wide-awa1e |
as Texas, had established and main |
tanned fairs at the principal centers, |
lent the proper encouragement to agri- |
cultural pursuits, stimulated the live |
soek industry, helped to place the |
poultry industry where it belongs and
other matters OF equal Importance.
Texas would not have taken from Us
more than one hundred thousand of our
citizens. the best they aave today. Again |
let it be urged that we arrange to keep
our people in Mississippi. Our condi- |
tiOns cannot be excelled and no State
can truthtully offer more for the man
who seeks a home and the attendant
pleasant environments.
The campaign for hog and hominy
goes merrily along, gathering strength
day by day. The officials of the farm
ers' organizations are preaching the
doctrine from one end of the State to
the other and many privates in the rear
ranks are pushing the movement along.
1t is undoubtedly the proper fortifica-
tion for u holding campaign, and when
the good people o. Mississippi are well
provided with necessaries OF life that
can be provided at home. she fight for
an equitable price for cotton is already
half won. The men who are making
this campaign are deserving of the aid
and cooperation of good citizens every-
where. be they farmers or not.
Commercial fertilizers are all right