The hummer. (Houston, Miss.) 1914-19??, 1915-12-03
A Progressive Farmer

flOuihd+ MISS, NOV. Zf-JNsl l0
show what can be done along the
agricultural line ia Mississippi by
adding brains 20 Drawn the follow
ing artcle'is respectfully submitted
to the thousands Of Commercial
Appeal readers:
Evans Reid. who lives midway
between Houlka aud Houston, raised
this year 1000 bushels Of Early
Triumph sweet potatoes on 20 acres
ofreeular Pontotoc sandy ridge land.
Except for two negroes hired by the
month and a half dozen children
hired at planting aud digging time,
this young man has done the work.
Already he has sold 1000 bushels
at 81. per bushe, shipping one car
load TO ST Louis and selling the
rest to local merchants. In Janu-
ary and February he will deliver
over 1000 bushels at the same
price 70 a dealer in ST. Louis, pos
sibly getting that price later on {. o.
b. Houston. Even if that 20 acres
had produced 20 bales of cotton at
SIS a bale, the potato yield would
knock the one-crop idea forever in
the quits.
This progressive farmer, who
graduated a few years ago from the
A. & M. College at Starkville, has
built a doubled plank house with
sawdust between to store the pota-
toes until delivery He keeps a
stove burning in the middle Of the
building, and by keeping the temper
ature regular he hopes 70 save
every potato from decay. In tins
house are the sorted potatoes, aad
outside he has banked 900 bushels
that were cut by Dlow and other
wise in the second and thrd grade
The latter will be used ior local
trade, home use and bedding next
spring This is his largest crop OF
potatoes, ard next year le hopes to
do better if he can find a permanent
market in Memphis or St Louis. la
the spring and SUNNI r he has been
the only man in Chickhsaw County
who could supply the less progress
sive farmers with any amount OF
slips.
Mr.. Reid is a model farmer, for
he has put in alone an electric Hight
plant, water works, modern barn
and good cellars around his neat
country home, He has done most
of the work in everything that he
undertakes, because by applying
brain he does the work of half
dozen ploiders of the land.
He will huild a silO next year and
otherwise eliminate all thought of
cotton backwMdness. Going about
his work quietly, up before day to
milk several fine COWS, feeding
good stock, chickens and hogs,
keeping something green the year
round and really and truly living at
home on made in Mississippi, he
has won the admiration of hundreds
who are now trying TO get the
thought in their system that brains
help in farming TO-DAY.
So many farmers can't be told,
they won't be told, and they do not
like to see others read progressive +
farm a lers. They won't believe .
that papers contain articles from +
practical men who have experience
with just what they are writin for
others to profit by following their
advice. So it takes a man who can
show them the facts of scientific
farming right at their front dor and
then some of them viii Sneer that
he "wuz jes lucky This man is
showing what can be done at home
and the work he is doing for the
good of the county is Of unlimited
, alue for future farming progress
sivenesS
Since the county has decided 70
employ a farm demonstration man
Mr. Reid has applied for the job
and his friends believe the county
could do no better in selecting an