Yazoo City herald. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1976, 1914-12-25
Mr.. Secretary Houston Told You the
Truth and the Truth Win Set
the South Free.


OF enormous interest TO the south
ern people is the annual report Of Da-
vid F. Houston, secretary Of agricul-
ture.
Uncle Jerry Wilson's reports were
always buoyant and cheerful. Mr..
Houston's report is faithful, analytical
and critical. He sees the weak points in
the productive forces Of agriculture OF
every part of the country. and he
does not hesitate to dwell upon them.
Our wheat crop in 1914 is the larg-
est on record. Our cotton crop is also
great. The world is crying for our
wheat because you can eat wheat, The
world is not eager for cotton. because
you can't eat cotton.
Man may 60 partially clothed dur
i ing his life time. He can comfortably
live without clothes six months in the
year. He could do without clothing en-
tirely If he began the habit IN the
spring early in his life.
But man cannot get along "a hours
in comfort without eating, and the
average man will starve to death with
in week.
The south doesn't raise enough
grain. We, don't grow enough food
stuff to sustain ourselves and our cat
tie.
In cattle, sheep and hogs all over
the United States there has been an
absolute decline from the census OF
1899 to that Of 1909.
The census Of cattle in 80 was so,
, OOO, 900; in 1909 il was 100000
There were 81 100000 head Of sheep il
the United States in 1899, and Onl!
$4,000 900 10 years later, Hogs in tina
decade fell from 6S,OO0,OOO to $4,000,
, 900.
Since 1909 the tendency has beel
downward, and Mr.. Houston dwell
upon the fact that from 1899 to thu
year there has been an increase Y
population of 20,000,000.
"There is no question" says MI
, Houston, shat the average farmer !
the settled areas can produce withou
great expense a large number Of bee
animals IL only as by products to tn
betterment Of his farm economy. /
this direction the farmer in the sout
> enjoys unusual opportunities.
7 "The last census" Mr.. Housto
= points out, "shows lamentable net
l. Iect of live stock in the south. tn
l. average Iowa farm has six milk cow
in North Carolina and Alabama it hi
less than two; In South Carolina on
q "The average Iowa farm has
s hogs; in North Carolina and Alaban
Ie it has less than five; in South Cardiff
c. less than four.
"The average farmer in Iowa h
more than 10S head Of poultry;
North Carolina and Alabama he h
less than 20; in South Carolina lie
than II.
"An Investigator recently said tn
the average farm in Georgia produC
less than two eggs week; less IN
oh two-thirds ounces Of butter; two-thir
ha of a pint of milk; one-third Of no
in / 1-2 of beef; 100 Of sheep We
"a for each member Of the family, a
- the cotton crop Of the state does !
pay the states food and feed bill.
Twelve southern states imp'
SITS, 100000 worth Of wheat, corn a
:. oats. The same states import $500
u 900 worth Of meat, milk and poul'
!, products
The south can grow cattle, sh'
- and hogs as well as any other sect
" Of the United States.
There is enough land in the sol
to grow all the cattle, hogs, sh'
and all the feed stuff for hogs that
WI southern people could consume.
2" There are enough fence corners {
lty unused scraps Of cotton patches VIII
NIL the plowman does not run out to
end Of his row to produce vegetai
ure sufficient to feed the southern peo
our The labor of one man in the sol
'ost equivalent to 10 days working fl
in sunup to shutdown, will produce emo
dis potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, beans
can onions to supply vegetables to
ent average family.
this There is enough waste pasturag'
buy the south to Craze during the SUM
,ast cattle sufficient to give us milk
soft to eat, ard hogs sufficient for porl
Ices The cotton seed mixed with ra
Of other stuff we could grow IN
ant south would fatten eonugh nogs
the cattle to make us enormous export
tof- If the south went into diversi
farming, there would be work
good wages for every negro on
cotton p .antation 300 days in the y
instead Of about 100 days in the y
,ps If the southern farmer and farm