The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1917-11-04
LOCAL FARMERS FIND
THAT INVESTIGATION
POLICY PAYS.
RANGE is WIDE
Many Products of Varied Char
acter Raised on Lowndes
County Plantations.

When the late DR.. S. A. Knapp,
who was for many years the efficient
head Of the bureau of plant industry
Of the United States department of
agriculture, visited Columbus short
time before his lamented death he
predicted in speech delivered at the
court house that the boil weevils,
which had just then begun to invade
this section, would prove blessing
in disguise; arguing that the presence
Of the pest would force the farmers
here to abandon the old one-crop plan
and adopt policy of Investigation,
which, he assured them, would bring
larger profits than accrued when they
devoted their activities almost entire
ly to the production of cotton. DR..
Knapp's prediction has at last been
verified, as local farmers after having
demurred long time, have finally
adopted a policy Of diversifcation,
and the agricultural products of
Lowndes county, this year exclusive
of cotton, which has long been the
staple crop, will reach a total valu-
alton of something like one million
dollars.
While the weevils began to invade
Mississippi nearly decade ago, it is
only during the past few years that
they have rought any material dam
age to cotton in this immediate Sec
ton, and this is really the first sea-
son that local farmers have pursued a
ge.crn, arA Maal dcEa "a rc.,ic..r Of 3;
versifcation. This year, however,
they diversified extensively, and the
variety of products successfully cul-
tivated runs the gamut from velvet
beans to wheat and from soy beans
to sorghum.
Wheat has proven one of the most
valuable crops, and the fine yields of
many fields in Lowndes county en-
phaticauy refutes an oft repeated as
sertion to the effect that the grain
could not be successfully cultivated
in this section. The total yield of
wheat for the county is estimated at
10000 bushels, and at So a bushel,
which is conservative estimate, the
total cash value of the crop will be
$4,000.
Sorghum We'd with wheat for pre-.
eminence as a money crop in the
scheme of diversifcation, and, in
fact, the cash returns on the succu-
lent syrup will exceed those on the
grain for which our European allies
are clamoring so loudly. The total
yield of sorghum in the county is es-
timated at 200, 900 gallons, and as il
sells readily at 40 cents per gallor
the total value of the crop will easil!
be $4,000.
For the first time in the history Of
the county, large quantities of velvet
beans were planted, and the yield wa'
abundant beyond the most sanguin,
expectations. The total yield is es
timated at 10000 tons, and as thu
beans have market value of SIT PEI
ton the cash returns thereon will
be $4,000. Soy beans were als'
generously planted, and the none.
received from them will add material
ly to the incomes of local farmers.
Peanuts form another Innovation il
the long list of products resulting
from the diversifcation policy. Fo
many years the nuts were cultivate
only in very small patches and thei
use was restricted almost entirely +
the families Of the farmers who rails
edthem. This year, however, they hav
been cultivated on much more eS
tended. scale, and the yield has bee
enormous. One local min that make
q speciality Of products of this char
acter has handled 100 tons of tn
nuts, and large quantities are bein
used by farmers to fatten hogs.
is safe to say that the total yield fo
the county will be 200 tons, and 9
the nuts are worth 500 per ton j
open market the cash value of tn
crop is about $4,000.
Local farmers have been success
fully engaged in the cultivation of a
falfa for a number of years pas
and while the yield this season, on a
count Of unpropitious weather, W,
not as abundant as usual, the ere
was fairly good. The total yield
placed by growers at 1000 tons, an
~ the legume has market value
-25 per ton the total cash returns Il
crop viii easily rea.h $4,000