Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1918-02-21
SOUTH SHOULD
GROW FOOD STUFF

washington u L. 60 10 II thG
South neglects this year TO provide
her own food and feed, she Is likely
10 suffer serious privation, and she
sin put a burden upon the Nation
which may prOlong the war and even
imperil our victory says Clarence
0usley, Assistant Secretary Of Agri-
culture
i am aware Of these stronge
Eords,- continues Secretary Ousiey,
but they are none too strong I am
not expressing an alarmist personal
opinion am seeing through the
eyes Of IS agricultural colleges and
q county agents IN nearly every az
ricultural county. / have recently
crossed the continent from the Allan
&c 70 the Pacific. / nave studied the
reports gathered by the department.
:. 900 representative and - many
a0re employees Of the agricultural
eolleges- have considered the con
lasions u the Internationas Institute
4 Agricultural al Rome which has
aePorts from al the world
The plain, hard truth Is that with
20 million people withdrawn from the
productive industries ard engaged in
ne business Of destruction. Il Is not
humanity possible Tor production on
me whole to exceed normal demand.
The question Is whether production
can equal necessitious demand.
England, France. ana italy must
Be sustained or their populations e4n-
not stand tie strain They have been
On seanty rations for more than three
years. The chief cause Of Russia :
collapse was hunger. Soldiers cannot
aght when their wives and children
are starving.
Secretary MeAdoo has given warn
-ng that transportation may be lack
ing IN 1918. TO haul food ard feed 10
States and communities that Go not
provide for themselves. Many cattle
have been sacrificed in the drOuth re-
e5ons OF the Northwest and the South
west during the last fesg months. be
cause railroad cars could not be OBJ
tanned as needed Military move
ments must have first consideration.
and military movements viii be great
er IN 1913 than in 1917 The prime
question for the farmer is not what
product viii bring the highest price.
but what products viii insure food for
aus family and feed for his live stock.
and the answer IS vegetable gard
en, . milk COW, brood SOW. a Doul-
Try flock, ample corn. oats, peanuts.
etc, and then as much cotton OF to
oacco as he can cultivate well.
1t Is the highest demand Of pa
tTiOtism-it Is the first requirement
Of hving-that IN 1918 every State.
every county, every neighborhood
every farmer, be As nearly self-sus-
tanning as possible.
For the South TO plunge On cotton
or tobacco or any other speculative
crop and TO depend upon the corn bslt
for bread and meat VIII be for the
South TO engage in q gamble which
may cause prIvation 10 It's people and
disaster 10 the Nation For any man
now TO determine his business oDers-
tons from the standpoint OF Droft
alone, without regard to the Nation
need, is for MIN wilfully TO profteer
IN the blood of his fellows who are
lighting IN France for the Dreserva-
ton Of the republic No man can be
excused for not taking his share Of
the responsibility.
My whole life has been spent IN the
South know the Southern farmer
He viii do his duty as he sees II I
am appealing TO every man in the
South TO make known these facts-to
consider it ms business to make them
known-and / shall have no doubt Of
the results If they are not made
known in a way 70 impress the crisis
That eonfronts Us, there may be hun
ger IN this bOunteous land or hunee~
over yonder in Europe, where II viii
spell ruin for all that Is worth while
IN America"