Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-07-25
CROP HEAVY:
 BADLY HANDLED w. R. Beattie, Former Gov ernment Man, Reviews the
 Years Yield.
HE VISITS THIS CITY
Is Now Agricultural Commissioner For the Cotton Iieli-asiiler
 Officials Here.

w. R Be3ttle, formerly 0f Wash ingfon, D. C., the new agricultural commissioner for the Cotton Belt hav- ing been appointed to succeed tha iclate Guy l.. Stewart who nlet q tragic death in Missouri a few manths ago while travelling in his private car arrived in Pine Bluff yesterday, ae. companied by L.. E. Saupe, special agent for the Gotten Belts agricu tural department.
 They ale travelling in Mr. BeatEie's private car, ', and are en route to Little Rock, where Mir. Beattie will confer with c. F. Adams, director of the state experimental station club work, and c. E. Jeffords, n charge of the state corn club work, anl5 z. w. Watson, in charge of the govern ment work in this state. They will discuss plans fer the farmers inati- ute work in this state the coming year.
 Mir. Beattie VIII look after the ag- Ticultulal interests along the Cotton Belt Heretofore the agricultural aud industrial work was combined. but w. J. Doyle, who was MT. Stewards assistant for many months, will lcok
  by that road. MT Doyle was also i'll the city yesterday and VII accompany Messrs. Beattie and Saupe to the capi- tai city today
 MT. Beattie is one of the most com- potent men in agricultural work in this country. He was with the gov ernment at Washington for twelve years, being connected with the Bu- reau of Plant Industry. His bulle- tins on peanuts, onions and sweet po- tatoes have made him famous among farmers and he is familiarity knswn as the peanut expert.
 "The peach crop at Camden and points along the Cotton Belt," said MT. Beattie, "has fully demonstrated the possibilities for fruit growing in this ,terr tcTy. Nowhere in the Soutnwss st do we find fruit so highly colored pr the trees so heavily loaded. The fruit is very uniform in size and free fl om imperfections.
 Tn order to make fruit growing profitable however, the farmers must take better care of their orcha ds, especially With regard to cultivation, fertilizing, rwuning and spraying Many of the growers have lost heavi the present season because they did not know how to handle their crops and delayed picking until large per centage of the fruit was too rire for marketing.
 There is also need for more cam- plete organization of the growers r s- pecially for the purpose of marketing the fruit. The majority of the gr- W CTS have an idea that they would have realized better prices had they sold to local buyers at the shipping points. This is a mistaken idea and thes e. suits will always be better if the fru. t Is sold tn: ough a selling agency, csn- sisting either of a local association or firm engaged in the distribusi 2 business. As a result of the methods followed the present season the graW- CTS have lost heavily as lar:ya amount of the'r fruit has gone to waste.
 "The sweet potato is one of the best money crops fo. Southern Arr ansas and large markets through out the Northwest remain to be SUD- plied It is essential however, t at we grow the varieties wanted by these markets. Throughout the Eastern states the yellow Jels sey type of sweet potato is grown almost exclusively. This it the dry, mealy potato in So great demand on the Eastern markets. The growers Of the Southwest will find it more profitable to grow tle |Jersey type of potato in preference to the yams although there can be no doubt that the yam is better pc tato for home use. There is movement on foot to organize the, farmers for the planting of large crop of sweet potatoes next year. Arrangem ants are also being made to secure assup- ply Of seed of the Jersey varieties for planting next season and arran re- ments will be made to handle the pro- duct in car lots.