Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1910-06-16
WHAT A WESTERN M AN
THINKS OF THE SOUTH


of this section. Mr. VanBuskirk re.
Gently visited his son-in-law. Mr.. w.
o. Peck. here. and while here took
occasion to investigate the agricultural
possibilities Of this section. he writes
as follows Of his visit;
Have just returned from SIX
weeks, visit in Eastern Mississippi
and Western Alabama. thought per-
hans might be able to interest the
readers Of the Daily Record by q re-
cital Of my observations while in Dixie
land.
Il have been many times asked the
question since coming back to Colorado
whether Northern man is welcome IN
that section Of the country or not |
reached Columbus. Miss, on Christ
mas morning and found the weather
delightful. | had visited there before
and had been introduced to many peo-
pie, forming during my stay large
number Of pleasant acquaintance, and
il was like going back to place where
/ had lived for years. 1t seemed that
everybody had previously seen met
me with glad hand and cordial vel
come. spent a couple Of weeks m
looking over the country in Mississippi
and Alabama. and wherever ! went
there was that generous hospitality that
makes one feel that he is among his
own folks.
The war is over with the people
down there and all they want to know
is whether the newcomer will make
a GOOD citizen or not. When was
in Mississippi two years ago be-
came very much interested in what is
known as the Black Prairie Belt. 1t
is strip of country about twenty
miles wide and about a hundred and
twenty-five miles long. extending in a
crescent from near Okolona. in Mlssls-
sippi, to near Montgomery, Alabama.
1t is, generally speaking, rolling
black prairie. interspersed with post
oak groves and with timber along the
creeks.
This prairie belt is all underlaid
with artesian water, clear as crystal
and soft as snow water. Many oil
these wells would furnish water to ir'
risate a hundred acres ofland.
There is but little swamp land
country rolling with natural drain
age. There is no malaria and the peo'
pie in the prairie belt are as healthy
as any place in the United States /
was discovered in 1903 that alfalfa
could be produced on this land and
from few acres planted near Yves
Point, Miss, was grown the bale Of
Alfalfa that took the gold medal at the
St. Louis exposition. They can pro
duce four or FIVE cuttings a season. The
plants grow about the same length as
they do here, but the stalks are much
finer
The United States Agricultural De
partment now has a corps OF soil ex
perts at work preparing report or
this section. | had the pleasure o
meeting Mr.. c. P. Crosby, who has
charge Of the work. He made thu
statement to me that it was no doub
the best alfalfa land in the country
and was identical with the famous
chalk lands of Eastern France, AMI
further remarked that just as soon a
the agricultural world learned OF thu
possibilities of this land it would go t
two or three hundred dollars an acre
1t is now selling at from twenty t.
forty dollars an acre. Mr.. Crosby ha
shown his faith by purchasing thou
sand acres FIVE miles east OF Macon
Miss.
The greatest drawback 10 the coun
| try is the lack Of intelligent, up-todat
farmers. During the Reconstructed
period nearly all the old planters wer
forced to leave their plantations an
congregate in the towns for the bette
: protection of themselves and their fam
/. lies. The farms were turned over
negro tenants, the majority OF whor
i have not made much improvement o
: the man with the hoe.
The younger generation OF whit
: people, the descendants Of the oil
It planter aristocracy. have been reare
: in town, and too often in idlen0ss. an
: know nothing about farming the Ian
= Consequently the "nigger" farms II
e land ard the land owner farms tt
It ''nigger" aad they have the latter pa
o reduced to science. To illustrat
!. will recite a rather smusing conve
It sation that | heard while travelir
n through the country with Mr. Clay.
y Macon, Miss. We had stopped at
- country store, and was introduced
.r the proprietor, and the conversati,
st turned to the subject OF immigrati'
r and immigrants. An old darkey W
= r sitting on the door step about hi
Il asleep. Finally he got up and a
i dressed Mr.. Clay thus;