Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-24
(By G. s. s~t1andvold)

A favorite claim that it is necessary
to resort to politics in order to secure
satisfactory economic conditions
among farmers has been disproved
time, and'again. but hardly ever more
convtncingly than ina the instance of
Pontotoc county in the state Of Mis-
sissippi.
Socialism,, disguised or undisguised,
has had nothing to do with it, and all
forms Of politico -economic radicalism
have been lconspicuously absent dur
ing the period Of remarkable pro-,
gress through which the community
is just now passing.
Pontotoc county is situated about
80 miles southeast Of Memphis, Tenn.
and $50 miles northeast of Jackson,
the state capital. Its largest city Is
.Pontotoc with a population of about
1900 out of the total county popula-
ton of 10000. and smaller towns
throughout the county are Esperanto,
Sherman, Mudcreek. Randolph, Buck
horn. Red Land, Algoma. etc.
The people of Pontotoc county do
not appear to- be essentially different
from those elsewhere in the United
States, but conditions there have at
times been trying enough to AK the
persistence of even the most patient
of men,.
Nearly All Arc White.
Nearly all the farmers Of Pontotoc
county are white men and women who
show no particular eagerness to own
or manage large farms. The average
farm Is about ~ acres. Of which less
than half was described as improved
land in official reports about ten
years ago.
Generally speaking the farmers
were not prosperous a few years ago.
and it vas necessary to obtain many
indispensable commodities from out
side In 1915. for instance.
$4,000 worth of feed and food was
imported into the county. despite the
fact that a good average harvest was
recorded that year.
Now 1t seems that a veritable revo-
luton has taken place. 1t has not
been brought about by class. hatred
or by demagogic methods in legisla-
ton; no Socialistic %agitators were
summoned for the purpose of preach
ing a doctrine of revolt. nor were
farmers asked to pay so and so many
dollars per year to a political organi-
concerning a millennium-and kept
none Of them.
Reforms accomplished were due to
good n and to q. feeling of solidar-
ity. Z
They Pulled Together.
I'VE just pulled all together"
Randolph farmer explained a few
days ago-"we pulled together rs a
community. and each of us knew
what was expected Of him."
This, apparently. is the very simple
eason for the unprecedented Gee
which has reflected a great deal of
w~ell-deserved credit on the farmers
of Pontotoc county.
The people down in that county like
to speak about their spresent-day con-
ditions as the results Of IAN agricul-
tural revolution" and-it has all been
brought about within the last ten
years. 1t began with a systematic at
tention being paid to the soil and it's
yield about 1909. and for some time
there were disappointrhents and fail
ure galore, but the farmers kept on
believing that some day c would
their efforts. y
A few days g it was reported on
the authority of the United States
department Of agriculture that Ponto-
toe county since 1916 has added anil
lion dollars to its cash reserves, and
that prospects for future years are
rel brighter. rs aa.r
Figures That Tell.
Formerly the county believed firm
ly in ,one-crop soil. and that one crop
was cotton; until three years g Pom
totoc farmers eve produced enough
food for their WI use. and there had,
never been a car load of hogs, corn,
molasses, sorghum. seed, peanuts or