The new South-news., 1908-05-16
FOR
GREATER
MISSISSIPPI

uioat entirely new IN the state Oh All
sissippi, is bearing fruit. There -
an abundance Of reasons why we
should At least produce the corn We
consume, and the number Who do this
and even betteH Is increasing rea-
sonsbly fast. Last year saw the first
competitive corn growing contest IN
augurated among the boys Of the
public schools, and this year more
than twenty counties have taken up
the work. II those who contenied
Mat the average yield in Mississippi
was approximately twelve bushels to
Me acre a few years ago were cor
rect, the increase already shown 's
satisfactory. Statistics gathered last
year BY this department proved 1t to
be sixteen bushels then: Shall we al
low the good work to stop or shall II
b. prosecuted with renewed vigor!
Although we have never been rec
ognized as a corp state, there aye
those who are beginning to cast their
eyes in this direction, attracted BY
the result Of efforts to improve the
yield. Capt. J. F. Merry. who has long
been connected with the Illinois Cen
trail Railroad and is well known to
scores Of our people, writes the De-
partment Of Agriculture and Com
merce asking that Mississippi, from
tie abundance Of splendid corn that
will be shown by our school boys
this fall, select a comprehensive ex-
hibit and place it on display at the
Omaha Corn Show to be held in
December. He has noted our ac-
eomplishment and feels sure that
Mississippi can show alongside the
baner corn states Of the Union.
The suggestion is we'll worthy OF
careful consideration, and had your
Commissioner the funds for defraying
the expense of such an exhibit, it
would be made. There should be no
fear that Mississippi might not show
we'll in comparison with Iowa, Kan
sas, Nebraska and Illinois. The corn
shown at the State Fair last fall,
judged by the Holden method or any
other was as <,oj as could be pro-
duced anywhere in the world. There
Is an ear in this Office now that will
judge fully "a per cent. according to
the Holden score card. We produce
multiplied thousands Of such ears
every year, and the only thing nec-
esasry is, to take care in the selec-
ton and select only the best. II is
likely that this proposition Of Capt.
Merry will be acted upon, and that
when the gates Of this great show
With its $50,000.00 in prizes opens
- ~apAass~ es.0o~t>sru State waV
BE- here Il ~~-.y.As. fn~ thu prises
offered If Mississippi could only win
honorable mention in a contest
where the hardest competition in ths
world is to be encountered there i
enough in that to compensate fol
the time and light expense
Corn is the crop Of second impor
tance in Mississippi, and the leg
end Of its creation points to this a.
the location Of its birth. 1t is sale
that Mondamin, the friend Of mai
and sent by Gitchie Manitou tn
Mighty, came down to earth one sun
ny and beautiful afternoon, shakin,
his fair, yellow hair and gently rus
Ting his willowy green garments
Him, Hiawatha wrestled bat did no
conquer.
For four days at twilight cam
4ondaimn and defiantly challenge
Hiawatha. On the fourth day he wa
thrown and conquered.
Hiawatha covered the body Of hi
vanquishsd foe with dirt and mold
the fertile held alongside forest an
near to = flowing stream. Then h
sat vigil over the grave, as Gitchi
Maniton had said.
, When the warm spring rains ha
come and moistened the earth and Il
/; suns rays had kissed the groun
! there peeped from the mold Of Il
/. grave some bright green blades, ,
3 Of grass. All summer long Hawaii
: watched beside them as they gre
' and unfolded into the royal plant.
. And when autumn breathed
frosty breath upon the forest al
growing plants, .here on the gra'
! Of Mondamin stood golden corn.
' 1t was the gift that Gitchie Ma
d itou, the Father Of Life. had pro,
: ised Hiawatha's people If he shou
. throw Mondamin.
e This was countless hundreds
e moons ago. Each autumn since, {
Indians have wrestlsd with Mond
J. min--stripped the corn Of it's hus
e and silks and carried the golden gra
u to their wigwams.
Il For three hundred years the viii