The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1909-05-28
Specially Written for The
Tri--Weekly Constitu-
ton.

Interview with Colonel }. Nc G..
Martin, of Mississippi, by George
D. Lowe.)
Just what economics and agri-
cultuaal revolution of beneti-
cent nature is worked by the
Mississippi plan of a county COM
missioner of agriculture, is told
lin recent conversation / had
with Colonel Jno. Nc G. Martin,
OF Port Gibson, Mss.
The plan whic' constitutes a
connecting link Ietween federal
and the state S stems and the in
dividual, is rapidly gaining in
popularity.
Colonel Martin said in part:
1.-The establishment of the Off
ce of county commissioner of ag-
riculture in my county was due
to an unusual combination of cir
cumstances. but I believe we are
giving the initial try-out to a
system which will soon be of un-
iversal application so far as the
cotton growing counties in the
south are concerned.
s'With US it has already been
shown within comparatively
short time that this officer is
worth far more than his salary
to the agricultural and business
interests OF the county. and
that through him the practical.
working farmers OF the county
are getting the benefit of all the
modern methods of farming work
ed out by the experiment stations
and agricultural colleges, which,
before his creation, never reach.
ed more than a very few of the
most progressive students Of ag
riculture in the county.
LAS [ stated, the creation of
this official with US came about
IN a rather peculiar manner. In
1907 a cyclone passed through
Claiborne county, Mississippi,
where my home is, and left in its
wake beside the usual debris of
such storms aud dreaded Mexi-
can boil weeVil, which it had
picked up somewhere in the in
tested region of Louisiana. Be-
ing thus SUDDENLY confronted with
the arch enemy of the cotton
grower several years sooner than
we had expected, our people de-
cided that prompt and decisive
action was necessary to preserve
our agricultural and business in
terests from decentralization and
obstruction. There had previous
" been some talk in the state a.
bout the creation of the new Off
ce of county commissioner of ag-
riculture, but nothing definite
had been done. The board of
supervisors of Claiborne county
was unwilling to take SO revolu-
tionary to step without backing
of the people, so the whole mat
ter was brought before a mass
meeting of citizens, held at Port
Gibson, the seat. This meeting
was attended by a large proper
tion of the farmers, land owners
and business men of the county,
and was productive of these re-
suits:
THE OFFICE CREATED.
1.-The creation of the Office of
county commissioner of agricul-
ture was recommended to the
board of supervisors, which cor
responds to the board of county
commissioners IN Georgia, and
that official was to be an educated
and scientifically trained farmer,
the best obtainable, who was to
be paid no less than 500 month
by the county. This salary was
to be supplemented by whatever
could be obtained from the ma
tional government. Which later
turned out to be $500, making
the salary 81, 500 the year.
1.-The assembled farmers also
made the following recommends
tions: That every farmer in the
county plant not more than SO
per cent of his acreage to cotton;
that he raise ten hogs each year
and as many more as possible;
that he raise ten sheep each
year and as many more as possi-