The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1910-04-08


es. Yours truly,
F. NJ Runnels, Secy.
A Times reporter interviewed Capt.
Merry before ne left the city yester-
day, and the following conversation en-
sued:
Captain Merry, you have for many
years made ANIMAL spring trips through
Mississippi. Do you find on this trip
that farming conditions are about as
they are usually7" was asked
81 presume it is due to the excep-
tionaliy fine weather of this spring that
all of your lands seem to be in culti-
walton. Some years, owing to excessive
rain, quite little Valley lands are not
cultivated. This year there rs hardly
an acre that has not been planted in
something.
''Eo yon think the acreage in cotton
has been incdeased.' - asked the Times
man.
No l would think if there is any
difference in cotton acreage, it would
show a decrease. There is aiacent to
the railroad an increased acreage in
corn. but one can hardly judge of farm
ing conditions from observations made
from the rear of car. | should say,
however. that your cotton acreage has
decreased IS the corn acreage has in
creased, and l predict 1910 is going to
be great year for Mississippi far
mers. -
The Captain was Their asked, . Are
y.u encouraged sileve the leglsla-
ture win pass your hilI appropriating
$1,000 to be expended IN ctefraying ex-
penses of lecturers who will attend the
large gatherings throughout the north
and exploit Mississippi9,'
''I cannot say what the legislature
favor it, but the session is about to
close, and every member that has d bin
pending does not feel warranted in
giving way TO a new measure. IF the
friends in charge of the bill could get
it up, ] do not think any time would
be consumed in its passage longer than
It would take to call the roll.''
If the bill does not pass, what do
you suggest was then asked
.'Well. so far as the Illinois Central
is concerned, We shall go ahead and get
up as good an exhibit as possible, ani
we shall be on hand with this exhibit
st every land congress and exposition
n the north, where large numbers win
be in attendance 1910 is the year to
advertise Mississi ppi, and we are hop
ng, if the state legislature disappoints
rs, that such cities as Greenville, Nat
hez. Nicksburg, Jackson, Clarksdale e,
Greenwood and Yazoo City will each
send representatives to these gather
ings, who can represent their partic
ula1 section Mississippi to the
front should be the motto of US ALL
You have the best lands in the United
States today for the money at which
they are being sold, and you can grow
a variety of products the equal of any
state You have an annual rainfall
hat insures the growth of crop every
Year. You have good climate, all of
which makes Mississippi exceptional
territory sn which to locate farmers
from the northwest who are looking for
permanent homes.
s.There is no comparison between the
farming conditions in Canada and Mis-
sissippi, but the Canadian government
spends a million dollars in the United
States annually advertising their cheap
lands, while Mississippi does little or
nothing in this direction. The Illinois
Central through my department sent
out Zoo. 900 pamphlets, booklets and
circulars last year advertising Missis
sippi, and these were in answer TO in
quiries from all over the country. Can
ada shows good judgment in advertis
ing their cheap lands, but after al
Canadian lands are not so cheap nor 50
fertile as those Of Mississippi, and the
long winters of the northern country
make it one to be dreaded rather than
enjoyed as permanent home. The
trouble IS, notwithstanding that Mis-
sissippi has fifteen million acres of I'M
cultivated land, yet II makes no effort
at state to advertise it's farming pos
abilities Other states like Texas Ok
lahoma, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming,