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Mississippi State Capitol

Mississippi's Welcome

In its civic and religious life, Mississippi holds out a broad, cordial and tolerant
welcome to those from all parts of the world who may come in a spirit of righteous
and patriotic citizenship seeking a place in which to cast their lot.

Perhaps in no state in the Union is found a more thorough and cordial relation-
ship existing between the people of the towns and cities and those of the country
districts than in Mississippi.

This feeling of common fellowship makes for healthy and stable public
thought, of oneness of purpose for the common good, and is free from those
elements of differences, discord and unrest with which some communities are
unfortunately afflicted.

Insofar as the general outlook and settlement and investment privileges are
concerned, Mississippi presents the attractive prospect of being a land of "Fron-
tier Opportunity" — where twenty millions of acres are yet to be had at moderate
prices — the pre-eminently great opportunity, where the man of moderate means
may yield to the deep-souled and home-building impulse of the real American,
with every assurance of success and happiness.

And it is not amiss just here to say that there is only one direction that land
values in Mississippi can take, and that is — UPWARD.

Here are unbounded opportunities for the settlement of the gallant soldiers of
the Republic, now returning from the stress and storm of war, as well as others
who may be seeking a new land where they may spend their days amidst happi-
ness and plenty — as the great privilege is given under an over-ruling Providence.

Being richly favored with all that may bless and prosper human kind, this
State keenly realizes that its greatest present and future need is more good,
thrifty people to come and share its unlimited bounties and help in the building
here of a prosperous and splendid civilization.

Mississippi sends greetings to those of other climes — the great North, East
and West, as well as here in the genial Southern land — and stands with out-
stretched hands to extend them a cordial invitation and bid them a generous
welcome, where all may strike hands with united hearts and energies, pledged to
the common purpose of bringing her marvelous natural resources into life and
adding them to the Nation's great storehouse of wealth.

^■95998

MISSISSIPPI

To make a division of Mississippi according to the different types of soil would
be next to impossible in a booklet of this kind, but we may properly divide the
State into five general sections or divisions which are quite distinct. Each section
will be briefly described so that the homeseeker may get an intelligent idea of the
soil, crops, water, climate and general agricultural conditions throughout the
State.

NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI

In the northeastern portion of the State the country is generally rolling or
hilly, and originally was heavily timbered. The general surface of the land lies
between 400 and 600 feet above sea level. There are many fertile valleys and
stretches of rolling, undulating country that are now in a splendid state of culti-

Japanese Cane in Northeast Mississippi Produces 200 to 300 Gallons
Japanese Honey Cane Syrup per Acre

vation. The soil in the valleys and bottoms is very productive and is composed
of the finest sediment. The uplands are mostly gray loams or clays, valuable for
pasturage and the staple crops. Here may. also be found valuable deposits of
gravel and clays.

Between the hills of Northeast Mississippi and the Prairie Belt is a large body
of flat, sandy loam land, that is not only valuable for general farming, but is
especially valuable for corn production. From this section more than two and
one-half million bushels of corn are being marketed annually. This section is well
qualified for the raising of live stock of all kinds, owing to the abundance of nutri-
tious grasses grown there, among them Lespedeza and clovers. Vegetables, fruits
and garden truck of all kinds may be grown very successfully. The general con-
ditions in this section of the State make it ideal for rural life.

Two Hundred Head Aberdeen Angus Cattle

BLACK PRAIRIE BELT

In the northeast portion of Mississippi, adjoining the Northeast Highlands,
is a stretch of country known as the Black Soil Prairie Belt. Its greatest length is
about 100 miles and its width is from 10 to 26 miles. It is one of the most affluent
and prosperous sections of the State, which is directly traceable to the fertility of
this soil, the basis of all wealth, when combined with climate and moisture. The
prevailing soil is deep, dark loam, rich in carbonate of lime. Outcropping at
places are lighter soils, clay and sandy loams. The black soils yield abundant
crops of corn and cotton, oats, alfalfa, cow peas, velvet beans, Lespedeza and all
other clovers. With these crops, the dairy and live-stock industries are closely
allied. Several creameries have already been established in this section, thus
providing a ready market for the dairy farmer's milk and cream.

Green Fields All the Year Mean a Good Herd of Dairy Cattle

3

Baling Alfalfa

Fertile Soil

A bulletin of the U. S. Department of Agriculture states: "As an illustration
of its extraordinary productivity and durability, it may be cited that most of this
land will produce today a bale or more cotton to the acre, after 50 to 75 years of
continuous cultivation to cotton and corn without any fertilizer."

Alfalfa Land

This same bulletin further states: "The wonderful adaptability of the soils of
the Black Belt to alfalfa is bringing about an agricultural readjustment of alfalfa;
is naturally deep, fertile and of good texture; is unusually well drained naturally
and contains the proper amount of lime."

Elevation

This section is most healthful, having an elevation of 300 to 500 feet above
sea level, with excellent drainage conditions. The temperature is uniform and
pleasant. Rainfall is abundant and well distributed throughout the year.

The Black Prairie Lands of Mississippi Are the Ideal Lands of the United States
for Growing Alfalfa

THE YAZOO-MISSISSIPPI DELTA

The Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, located in the western part of Mississippi, is an
alluvial empire in itself, consisting of 6,648 square miles, or 4,250,000 acres of
the most fertile lands in the United States. About 2,200,000 acres of this valley
is in cultivation and for generations has been noted for its continued production
of the famous long-staple cotton of commerce. This valley extends from Memphis,
Tenn., to Vicksburg, Miss., a distance of about 170 miles and its greatest
breadth is about 65 miles. Many streams, rivers and bayous provide natural
drainage for the Delta lands, but planters and farmers whose lands need artificial
drainage, will, in the opinion of some of our best engineers, encounter no unusual
obstacles. The entire Delta has a natural drainage from east to west, and from
the north to the south.

On a Delta Plantation

Soils

These alluvial soils have been termed the "geological cream" of the United
States, composed of the fertile top-soils brought down by the "Father of Waters"
and its tributaries from the extreme northern part of the United States to the
Gulf of Mexico; so that in the composition of the soil we find all of the highly
productive agricultural states of the North joined hands in building this
mighty empire. In these alluvial soils are mingled the loams and silt, the nitrogen
and humus, the potash and phosphates, which, combined, make an almost perfect
soil. The most famous alluvial lands are called "gumbo," "buckshot," silty loams
and sandy clays. The sandy and loamy soils were deposited along the course of
the streams and the clayey soils in the interior. The coarser loam soils contain
5 per cent clay and 15 per cent silt. The finer grained soils contain from 12
to 18 per cent clay and 30 to 65 per cent silt. The larger portion of the remaining
composition is a very fine sand. The soil varies in depth from 12 inches to 3 feet
on the loam soils to 100 feet on the alluvial soils. The "gumbo" soil is a dark,
waxy clay and is one of the most product ive when properly handled. These soils
grow splendid crops of alfalfa and other legumes. They range in depth from one
to six feet.

Climate

The climatic conditions in the Delta are ideal lor the growing of cotton, which
is the principal money crop and which in the past has yielded large returns to

the planter. This plant requires a long season of warm weather. However, the
temperature is not oppressive, and sunstrokes, which are so common in the
Northern states, seldom occur in the South. The average temperature for the year
1917 at Greenville, Miss., was 63 degrees. Winter temperature seldom goes below
freezing and will range somewhere between 36 and 60 degrees. In summer the
temperature rarely goes above 96 degrees. The annual rainfall is about 56 inches.

Water

The excellent health conditions that prevail in the Yazoo Delta country are
largely due to the pure drinking water obtained from flowing artesian wells, of
which there are about 5,000. Nearly every large plantation, village, hamlet and
city gets its water supply from this source, which was not true in the pioneer days
in the South any more than it was in the North, where the water was drawn from
shallow wells and cisterns. Wherever proper drainage and sanitary conditions
prevail, the health of the people compares favorably to that of any other section
of the United States. Coming from a depth of several hundred feet, the water is
not subject to contamination, and is therefore of the highest quality and purity.

Crops

Cotton. For more than a century the Delta has gone unchallenged as the
Champion producer of long-staple cotton. This staple was king and reigned
supreme, and on good land, under proper cultivation, yields from one to two bales
per acre. A bale consists of about 500 pounds and at war prices is worth about
$200, and under pre-war times was worth from 18 to 25 cents per pound. Con-
ditions have changed in the Delta since the advent of the boll weevil, which a
few years ago threatened the entire cotton belt with ruin, just as the chinch bug
did the wheat farmers of the North some years ago. Under these conditions the
cotton planter was forced to revise his farming methods, which he did by diversi-
fying his crops. The one-crop system no longer prevails, but with profitable
results crops of corn, alfalfa, oats, soy beans, cow peas and velvet beans are
marketed annually.

Mississippi for Cotton
6

m.

Seventy-Five Bushels of Corn per Acre on Delta Lands Are Not Uncommon

Corn. Even on these alluvial soils where crop rotation is practiced and
legumes are grown, the mechanical texture of the soil is noticeably improved in
increased crop production. One planter in 1917 planted 2,200 acres to corn, soy
beans, cow peas and other food crops. Of this acreage, 1,500 was planted to corn
and under the best methods of tillage produced 100 bushels per acre. One
measured acre yielded 118 bushels. We would say this was an exceptional yield on
so large an acreage, although much larger yields are recorded on a smaller acreage
under intensified methods of cultivation. Seventy-five bushels per acre on Delta
lands are not uncommon and the average is very little below that figure. The
seed from which these yields are made is of the prolific varieties, producing two
or more good ears per stalk.

Soy Beans. This crop is growing more and more in favor with the farmers
of the South, as it is highly profitable as a forage crop and a soil restorer. As a
feed for cattle, with corn ensilage, it provides a nearly balanced ration and by some
stock men is considered superior to alfalfa. Yields vary, depending upon the fer-
tility of the soil and the care and attention given to cultivation. One planter last
year on a field of 600 acres had an average yield of 40 bushels per acre. Under
normal conditions, we would say the average yield per acre for the State would be
about 25 bushels. The price was $3.00 per bushel for 1918.

Velvet Beans and Cow Peas. Both of these legumes are considered very
valuable from the viewpoint of their feed value, especially in the raising of live
stock. In 1918, Mississippi harvested 525,000 bushels of velvet beans and $1,760,-
000 worth of cow peas. 1 his, however, does not represent the full production or
value of either crop, as large proportions of both crops are left in the fields to be
harvested by the hogs and cattle. Like red clover, sweet clover, and other
legumes, the velvet bean and cow peas are nitrogen gatherers and leave the soil
in a higher slate of fertility, thereby increasing its productive powers, and larger
\ ields of field crops the follow ins; year are the result.

Hay. According to the figures furnished by the United States 1 department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Crop Estimates, the total value of the hay crop in Missis-
sippi for 1918 was $8,589,000. One of the most valuable hays is Lespedeza, or
Japanese clover. When combined with Bermuda, white and crimson clover, one
acre will easily maintain a full-grown steer as long as rainfall is sufficient. On a
well-balanced soil Lespedeza will yield from one to three tons per acre. It is one
of the most easily cured hay crops in the State, often requiring less than 21 hours

Lespedeza Grows Luxuriantly

to effect a cure. It is very palatable and readily relished by all kinds of live stock.
There is always a keen market at remunerative prices for this crop when properly
cured.

Alfalfa has been grown very successfully in the Yazoo Delta for several years
past on plantations that were well drained, as this plant will not survive on lands
that are water-soaked and flooded. Nearly all of these lands grow alfalfa success-
fully, as the soil is highly impregnated with lime. However, the soils on some of
the farms will have to be inoculated to successfully grow this legume. Properly
handled alfalfa yields from five to six cuttings per season and an average of one

Alfalfa Yields Five to Six Cuttings per Season
8

■■I

Record-Breaking Yields of Oats Are Made in Mississippi

ton per acre each cutting. It is cut once every forty days from May to November.
Alfalfa in the hands of a skilled farmer will yield an income equal to cotton.

Oats is another of the staple crops grown in the State and in the production
ofwhich the Delta has broken the record, as the following figures from the Experi-
ment Station at Stoneville would indicate:

Bushels Bushels

per Acre per Acre

Black Tartarian 42.2 Hastings One Hundred Bushel . 118.2

Swedish Select 82.8 Bancroft 119.0

Sensation 91.0 Red Rust Proof 135. 6

Appier 118.0

With a fertile soil, abundant rainfall, a healthful climate, excellent drinking
water, good drainage, there slumbers in the lap of this great alluvial valley,
awaiting the touch of the trained and experienced homeseeker, an OPPOR-
TUNITY, which, if seized, will lead to FORTUNE.

CUT-OVER LANDS IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI

These lands may be described as "logged-off" or "stump land" from which
the merchantable timber has been removed. The year 1908 witnessed some
recognition of the agricultural worth of Southern cut-over lands. This first stir
of interest was as the "little leaven in the whole lump," but gradually and exten-
sively the assimilation of these denuded lands for other than lumber purposes
proceeded. Native farmers, here and there, followed closely upon the heels of the
axe and saw in the logging camps and opened settlements in response to the local
demand for farm products. Some of the more progressive lumbermen, realizing
the possibilities of their cut-over lands, established thereon demonstration farms,
community settlements and colonization projects.

In the meantime State and National agricultural experts went into this great
stump empire and commenced to work out the potentialities of the cut-over
regions. As the United States furnished 80 per cent of the world's naval stores,
science pointed out the profitable utilization of the rich resinous content in the
tree wreckage left in the wake of the sawmill. Wood pulp paper mills, pine tar

This Cut Is Representative of the Lay of the Cut-Over Lands of Mississippi.

Also Repre

product plants, sprang up and began to manufacture stumps, tree trunks and
limbs into paper, turpentine, pine oil, flotation oils, pitch, rosin and charcoal,
thus establishing a market for waste wood in the logging fields measurably suffi-
cient to reimburse the farmer for the cost of clearing.

The railroads realizing that when the great asset of lumber is gone, they will
need some people to carry and freight to haul, have industriously influenced
agriculture to follow close on the retiring steps of the timber interests. So, through
one agency or another, the merits of cut-over lands have developed until those
skilled in agricultural pursuits now regard the opportunities for trucking, dairy-
ing, stock farming and ranching offered by these cut-over regions as the one
distinct find in recent times.

Topography

The lands are neither in the high hills nor low plains, nor swamps, but level,
open, undulating and gently rolling. Altitude from 100 to 600 feet, or even higher.

10

Soil

The soil is dark, sometimes gray or light chocolate in color. The top soil is of
the nature of a sandy loam, warm, buoyant and responsive; The subsoil is a
heavy, sandy clay which holds the moisture for the growing crops. Experts say
the subsoil possesses rare qualities for plant food. It has been demonstrated that
the Boil is susceptible of the highest development by proper culture.

Drainage

The drainage as a whole is natural. The gently rolling lands shed the rainfall
readily and naturally. The few lower and more level places may be ditched, and
it is this reclaimed land which is among the richest in the State.

Water

The whole country is blessed with water courses. These streams afford pure,
cool and sweet water for both man and beast. Pure pump water is found at 25
to GO feet and artesian water at from 300 to 1,000 feet, the artesian wells flowing
with a force and pressure surprisingly strong. The rainfall is, as a rule, ample and
well distributed.

Standing Trees, Stumpage and Discarded Tree Trunks Generally Found on These Lands

Crops

Indian corn, kaffir corn, milo maize, German millet, Egyptian millet, oats,
Lespedeza or Japanese clover, sorghum cane for forage, Sudan grass, Natal grass
are the principal grain and hay crops. Lespedeza produces a most luxuriant hay
crop and analyzes favorably with alfalfa as a nutritious hay feed. Carpet grass and
Bermuda grass are native to the soil and are means through which we build
permanent pasture. The lands are also noted for sugar cane. The South is growing
diversified crops, but a few acres of cotton makes a ready cash crop. Sugar cam-
yields per acre 200 to 500 gallons of the famous sugar cane syrup and sells for
fifty cents to one dollar per gallon. Two or three neighbors join in buying a
grinding mill and evaporator which may be obtained at minimum cost. The soil
makes a very good yield of Irish potatoes and especially sweet potatoes. Peanuts
do well, the tops being utilized for hay and the nuts find ready sale in the market.
All the fruits do well, with perhaps the exception of apples. The soil is noted for
its yields of watermelons and cantaloupes. The country is noted for perhaps the
greatest strawberry production section, of equal acreage, in the country'. Pecan

11

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Sugar Cane Yields 200 to 500 Gallons of Syrup per Acre, Making a Good Cash Yearly Crop

trees grow wild in the woods and the famous paper-shell pecans do equally well.
These grafted pecan trees may be planted and farming carried on between the
rows. Every vegetable known will grow in this soil. The production of the cou ntry
is away behind the consumption of the commercial and industrial centers. This
cheap, intensive soil, with a near-by market for all garden produce is just the
opportunity the trucker is looking for.

Cantaloupes
12

Dairying

Dairy farms on cut-over lands furnish all the natural essentials of successful
dairying as described in Bulletin No. 155, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and
quoted as follows:

"The first and most important natural advantage of the South for profitable
dairying is its climate, which makes it possible to have good grazing on fresh
pastures from nine to twelve months of every year. The least expensive feed for
the maintenance of any animal is that which is gathered by grazing. It is impos-
sible to secure a full flow of milk from a cow which does not have fresh and
succulent food from fresh pastures, soiling crops, root crops, or the silo, and the
best of these is fresh pastures. Natural pastures of Bermuda grass, Lespedeza
grass and other plants are abundant and good through the summer. Cow peas
and sorghum will carry the cows through the fall in constantly improving con-
dition, and by December, with oats, vetches and crimson clover, afford rich

Dairying

■■■■■■
t-Over Lands

grazing, which lasts until the natural grasses begin their spring growth. In no
other part of the country is it possible to secure good grazing through so great a
part of the year at so little cost. The mild winters make it unnecessary to provide
expensive buldings for protection from cold. The increase in the amount of
food needed simply to sustain animal heat in the region where the temperature
ranges from 20 degrees to 30 degrees F. lower, as it does in most of the prominent
dairy sections of the country, is no small item in the cost of maintenance, and
in those sections there is always a marked decrease in the flow of milk whenever
additional feed is needed for warmth. The more mild the winter the less will
be the total amounts both of forage and grain needed for the support of the
animal. In nearly every part of the South there is a good home market for
all dairy products, and the demand will be beyond the supply for many j
to come. There are few counties in this section which do not consume double
the amount of butter they produce, and in which really good butter will not
br ng a satisfactory price in the local market. A local market is always the
best market for any farm product."

13

Twenty-Thousand -Dollar Hereford Bull on a Mississippi Stock Farm

Railroads or lumber companies in many instances have furnished dairymen
the free service of approved pedigreed bulls. Many communities have organized
bull associations, the associations purchasing or replacing bulls of high-bred
standards for community use.

Cattle

During the years 1917 and 1918 the United States and State Agricultural
Departments, in order to save hundreds of thousands of cattle from death by
reason of drouth in the West and Southwest and meet urgent war needs, influenced
the transfer of many great herds from the Southwest into the grass of the cut-over
lands in Mississippi. The experiment in the main proved highly successful and
thus the stamp of approval was placed upon cut-over lands as the coming range
country for cattle. The better business method with cattle is to acquire native
stock and cross breed to pedigreed animals until you have built up to half and
three-quarter standards. Adopting this plan, it works out that you acquire a
herd at a low initial cost and economically build up to high-priced animals which
become big profit producers. It is highly significant that there are now stock

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Herds of Hereford Cattle Become Big Profit Producers
14

Mississippi Is Raising Champion Hogs

farms on the cut-over lands of Mississippi on which there are prize-winning bulls,
one breeder having paid $20,000 for a pure-bred Hereford bull.

Hogs

Hogs are a necessary live-stock accompaniment to cattle. They are as free
from the ordinary diseases as those anywhere. Having mild seasons, little loss of
pigs and abundant forage and feed crops for hogs, you need but look to the actual
increased production of swine in Mississippi to be convinced of the possibility of
hog raising as a business venture, which is evidenced by two sales of pedigreed
hogs held in February, 1919, where the average price for sows was over $300 at
one sale and over $600 at the other.

Sheep

Sheepmen have commenced to run flocks on cut-over lands. The consei.-sus
of opinion is that it is better to purchase native flocks, or flocks in territory of
similar altitude, import pedigreed rams and build to high standards by cross
breeding. In this way, to begin with, you measurably solve the knotty problems
of adaptability to climate, feed and grass. Experienced flock masters do not run

Specimen of Sheep to Be Found on the Cut-Over Lands of Mississippi

15

Every Farmer Should Have Some Sheep on His Farm

sheep on low lands where they incur the risk of foot rot, but are selecting the
higher or rolling lands, of which there are millions of acres. Internal parasites,
present in greater or less degree in almost every sheep growing country, may
be avoided by shifting and changing pasture often on the unlimited range of cut-
over lands. External parasites, or scab, may be controlled by the simple process
of dipping. A great change of sentiment regarding the dog has come about and
the people of Mississippi now prefer more sheep and less dogs. Drastic laws are in
sight and predatory animals as a menace in the future will be negligible.

The range sheep at first on the cut-over lands in the South were as a rule
undoubtedly descendants of the old Mexican ewe imported during an early day
from Spain, and in that state were a mixed type, greatly degenerated by inbreed-
ing. Roaming the denuded woodlands were small flocks of 15 or 20, with no
human care except when their burdens were tenderly lifted at shearing time.
These sheep, thanks to our propitious soil and climatic conditions, actually
propagated and in a way worked out their own salvation with fear and trembling
before their neglectful owners. Now, if these inferior gracfes of sheep, without
care or feeding, survived our mild winters, is it not a powerful argument in support
of cut-over lands as a sheep country?

Sheep run on Southern cut-over lands should be of such breed as grow a good-
sized carcass and a medium wool production. Our nation is rapidly becoming a
mutton-eating country. If there be anything in the statement that the warm cli-
mate of the South retards putting on a heavy fleece, the value of the increased
carcass would more than atone for the decreased wool production.

Among the advantages of sheep range conditions on cut-over lands are mild
winters, early lambing and minimum loss from cold — not so hot in summer, with
carefully selected breeds, as to work a ru iious degeneration in quality of the fleece
and not so cold in winter as to make feeding a continued necessity. We may
further mention cheap lumber, inexpensive sheds, fuel and fence posts on the
ground for the getting, private ownership of land without Governmental re-
straints, no thick underbrush to pluck the wool, near-by markets and no wolves
or coyotes.

Early Lambing

"The best paying feature of the sheep industry is the quick sale of fat lambs"
says a sheep expert of one of our Southern State Universities. Healthy
lambs make use of every ounce of feed that goes into them and while they are
young is the time to plan and feed for early marketing. The lambs should be

16

Sheep Are Profitable and Assist in Clearing the Land

dropped as early as possible in December and January and the last of May should
find all lambs for sale gone to market and the money in the farmer's home bank.
The Mississippi flock masters should set out to produce the 100-day fat lamb and
have them all gone to the market by June. The ewes, thus freed from suckling so
early, go through the summer in much better condition, come to the breeding
season earlier and in better flesh and they are sure to shear a heavier fleece of
wool. Velvet bean forage, in cornfields, oats and rye, should be relied on for
winter feed for ewes. If an acre of velvet beans will carry 25 sheep through the
winter, as the Agricultural Commissioner of one of the Southern states avers, then
ten acres of velvet beans would provide winter pasture for 250 sheep, making it
economical to carry over large flocks from summer grazing. What applies to
sheep applies with equal force to goats, except that goats are hardier, require less
feeding and are immune from many diseases that sheep are heir to.

If sheep or cattle were intelligently herded and their grazing directed by
shifting from one grazing area to another, leaving sufficient acreage entirely
untouched until winter months, the reserve pasture would have twice the carrying
power over that of the range taxed to its full capacity during the summer months.
If well-set carpet grass be allowed to go to seed after July, the tops will fall down
over the matted roots and will greatly benefit and protect the green pasturage
all winter. Same is true of Bermuda grass. Sheep and goats find a sappy and
budding condition of shrubbery during most of the winter, and beggar-weed also
retains nutriment in the winter season.

A committee appointed by the National Wool Growers' Association to inves-
tigate cut-over lands in Mississippi for sheep, made the following report:

"There is no doubt in the minds of your Committee that there is no place in
the United States that offers better opportunities for the man who wants to
combine farming and stock raising than this Mississippi country does."

The Committee, by inference, questioned the carrying power of our grasses for
sheep and cattle after the frosts have struck them in the winter. There is little
or no question about preparing a reasonable amount of feed to supplement the
pasturage during the short, lean grazing period. In such emergency cultivated
fields or pasture could be utilized. Abruzzi rye, wheat, oats, burr and crimson
clover make most excellent pasture. Soy and velvet beans and cow peas, after the
frost strikes them in the cornfields, are most nutritious feeds. Pea vine and Les-
pedeza hay may be saved in quantities and ensilage may be preserved in unlimited
supply. Root and forage crops are fine supplementary crops.

17

Gulfport, Miss.

THE GULF COAST

Those counties in Southern Mississippi bordering on the Gulf Coast, although
located in the "yellow pine" district that has had the merchantable timber
removed, are considered a distinct section of the State, and this strip along the
Southern border is internationally known as the "Gulf Coast." Some of its resi-
dents, however, who have traveled in many lands before selecting this as their
permanent residence, prefer to call it "The Riviera of America," because it has
the charm of Europe's favorite section, with none of its disadvantages.

While the Coast towns have developed into winter resorts for the Northerners
and summer resorts for the inland Southerners, the rural sections are intensively
developed as trucking and fruit-growing districts.

Practically every vegetable and fruit known to the gardener and horticul-
turist is grown in great quantities along the Coast, and many subtropical pro-
ducts have been developed which find here an exceedingly congenial home and
prove highly profitable to the grower.

Trucking Industry

One district specializes in radishes and ships them in carloads each year.
These radishes mature in a very short time and, being grown in midwinter, com-
mand almost fabulous prices on the Northern markets.

As an instance of the intensive manner in which these truck farms are operated,
some of the growers plant lettuce in October, and when it comes off in January,
plant Irish potatoes. A week later radishes are planted in the middle of the potato
rows, and when the potatoes are up a few inches, the radishes are picked and
shipped and corn put in their places. Then, when the potatoes are dug, cow peas
are sown in the middles, and all of these crops are grown usually between groves
of Satsuma oranges or paper-shell pecans.

Large quantities of peas, carrots, shallots, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower,
turnips, beans, watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other
vegetables are also raised profitably, and asparagus is a permanent and never-
failing source of profit, as it never winter-kills, grows to a tremendous size and
sells for hot-house prices.

18

Trucking can scarcely be called an adjunct of farming along the Coast, as it
has developed into a highly specialized industry, and the same care and pains are
taken in the preparation and packing of the various products that the manu-
facturer takes in assembling the various parts of the products turned out in his
factory. Returns are equally commensurate with those of the manufacturer, and
dependent entirely upon the amount of capital, knowledge and labor that has
been put into the work. Returns of several hundred dollars per acre from well-
cared for and highly and intensively farmed areas excite no comment, as it is
expected by the growers and accepted as compensation for their knowledge and
ability to produce these products in the off season, when they are without any
competition whatever from the Northern markets.

Cabbage— Ready for Shipment in May

Flowing Wells

Flowing artesian wells are found all along the Coast, and they fit into the
trucking industry very nicely, furnishing abundant water for the washing of the
vegetables before they are shipped to Northern markets.

General Farming

While the Coast is primarily a fruit and trucking center, unlike other sections,
the farmers here do not send away for their food and live-stock feed, but after
their early-season vegetables are shipped, they raise corn and hay for their work
stock on the same ground that has brought them their more productive money
crops.

Cattle and hogs are also being raised each year in increasing numbers, and
dairying has become a highly lucrative form of farming, because of the inexhaust i-
ble markets close at hand for all dairy products.

Fruit Growing

Every fruit known to the horticulturist, with perhaps a few species considered
indigenous only to the tropics, is successfully and profitably raised along the
Coast. Peaches, plums, pears, quinces, strawberries, dewberries, and black-

19

berries all do well. Grapes find a congenial home here and bear enormous loads
of fruit within 16 months from planting. Practically all varieties of grapes, from
the democratic Concord to the aristocratic hot-house varieties like the Seedless
Sultana and Flaming Tokay, thrive in this congenial climate and soil, and well
repay the efforts of the grower. The vines make a luxurious growth, and there is
never any danger of their being winter-killed. Rot and mildew are not as pre-
valent as they have been in other sections.

Satsuma Oranges

More attention has been paid to the culture of Satsuma oranges along the
Coast than to any other one fruit. This variety is the hardiest member of the
citrus family, the parent stock having been imported from Japan and budded
on a deciduous cold-resistant stock, which enables it to go safely through much
colder weather than the Weather Bureau's records indicate is likely to occur on
the Coast.

The tree is a dwarf and a very large number of them can be planted to the
acre and the fruit removed without ladders and at a slight expense. The oranges
mature very early and go on the Northern markets at a time when there is no
competition from other citrus fruits and command unheard of prices.

Satsuma Orange Grove in Southern Mississippi

While the Satsuma has been grown in a small way along the Coast for about
20 years, as a commercial product they have only been shipped in quantities in
the last two or three years. Heretofore the local markets have gladly taken at
good prices all of the fruit that could be produced, and when the commercial
orchards came into bearing the northern markets showed the same disposition
to absorb this exquisitely flavored seedless orange at highly gratifying prices.

The Satsuma is a true "kid glove" orange and the segments separate easily
without the hands being soiled by any juice. The tree is thornless, and is as
easily cared for as the Northern apple. The Satsuma orchards have experienced
a temperature running around 20 degrees without suffering the slightest from the
cold, and the future for this industry is very bright.

Paper- Shell Pecans

The Gulf Coast is the birthplace of the nationally famous paper-shell pecan.
The initial experiments in propagating and top-working the old seedling trees
were made here, and the parent stock of nearly all the paper-shell pecans in the
country have been secured from orchards and nurseries located on the Gulf Coast.

20

One of Mississippi's Wealth Producers

The early French settlers found the pecan growing in all its majesty and
grandeur here 300 years ago, and modern science and painstaking care and atten-
tion have developed these nuts into the toothsome delicacy that gastronomic
connoisseurs pronounce the finest contribution ever made to the table.

The paper-shell pecan takes its name from the fact that the shells can be
easily broken by crushing two of them in the palm of the hand. They will average
from thirty-five to 'fifty nuts to the pound and prices the past few years have
ranged from 75 cents to $1.25 per pound, and the yields from the trees are
measured only by the rare and attention the grower has given his orchard. When

Drying Pecans
21

it is realized that a mature pecan tree attains such a spread of branches that it
is not possible for over ten or a dozen of them to occupy an acre of ground without
their root systems and branches becoming interlaced, and that they are literally
loaded down with nuts, it can be readily seen what a tremendous crop they will
bear upon attaining their full growth.

The Pabst, Stuart, Success, Russell, Van Deman, and Schley pecans, which are
accepted as the best- known varieties in all sections, were all originated along the
Gulf Coast, and the parent trees, from which the original stock was taken, are
still to be found here in various orchards.

Figs

Figs are another fruit that are as old as the earliest settlements here, and no
door-yard is complete without a number of these thrifty, hardy trees. They bear
enormous quantities of fruit and the housewives find a ready market for preserved
figs at splendid prices for all they care to put into jars or cans, and the brokers
advise there is no possible likelihood of a market for preserved figs at fancy prices
ever becoming glutted.

Shell Road Along the Gulf Coast

Almost Ideal Living Conditions

While the Gulf Coast originally made its bid for prominence because of the
manifold advantages it offered in the way of a climate with 290 days and more
between frost; chemically pure drinking water, which many physicians claim is
a specific for numerous organic diseases that have not reached an advanced stage;
fishing and hunting; and has attained a national reputation so great that Presi-
dent Wilson a few years ago established his Winter Capital on the Coast — the
permanent future of the Gulf Coast will not depend upon its advantages as a place
to live so much as it will upon the returns that general farming, live-stock, vege-
table and fruit growing will give to the farmer from other sections who, with some
means and abundant energy, will wrest from these productive areas the stores
of wealth that Nature has for many centuries stored up, awaiting the touch of
industry to realize.

22

Velvet Beans and Corn

OTHER DIVISIONS

That portion of the State lying between the Black Prairie Belt and the Vazoo-
Mississippi Delta Valley may be divided into the Pontotoc Ridge Soil, the Flat-
woods Soil, and the Brown Loam and Loess Soil Areas.

This entire section extending through the middle of the State is gently rolling,
with an elevation of from 300 to 600 feet above sea level. Under proper manage-
ment and soil improvement these lands produce excellent crops of every variety
grown on Mississippi soils, excepting alfalfa; although this legume has been grown
in this territory, it is not considered one of the staple crops for this portion of the
State.

Crops

Crops grown most extensively on these soils are cotton and corn, although
oats is coming very much in favor in certain localities. Cotton will yield one bale
per acre on lands where the fertility has been maintained and where proper
methods of cultivation are practiced.

Scene at a Mississippi Cotton Gin
23

Corn on the best of the lands has yielded anywhere from 40 to 220 bushels per
acre; all depending upon the fertility of the soil, the seed, the preparation of the
seed bed and cultivation. The 220 bushels were produced on an acre that had been
given special care, but it demonstrates what can be done, and that the soil
responds to good treatment.

Oats has yielded 91 bushels per acre on a field of 40 acres, with an over- weight
of four pounds to the bushel. One county in this portion of the State produced
over 3,000,000 bushels in a single year. Oats as a rule is seeded in the fall, from
September to November, and harvested in May or June. As soon as the crop has
been harvested, the land is plowed and some other staple crop may be grown the
same year. This may consist of sweet potatoes, cow peas, soy beans, or corn,
and if Lespedeza is sown in the oats, a splendid crop of hay may be had in the
early fall. June corn with cow peas may follow oats the same year, furnishing
ample roughage for the silo, providing an abundance of feed for live stock, which
is so important in the economic production of meat and dairy products.

Oats an Important Crop in Mississippi — Yield 91 Bushels per Acre

Soils Prolific

All of the soils in the above-named divisions are very prolific in crop yields
when properly handled, and are very responsive to good treatment. With proper
crop rotation, growing clovers and other legumes, raising of live stock and the
liberal use of barnyard manure, Mississippi soils have made tremendous crops.

A Versatile Soil

Nearly every kind of fruit, vegetable, grass, forage crop and staple crop grown
in the United States can be grown on Mississippi soil, although it is not claimed
that wheat or apples are grown for commercial purposes. Nevertheless' there were
42,000 acres planted to wheat in the fall of 1917 and a larger acreage was planted
in 1918.

Fruits

Some very fine apples have been grown in the extreme northern part of the
State and grapes have also been grown successfully in the same territory. Many
small orchards of peaches, grapes, figs and pears are cultivated in every section
of the State. Strawberries are grown in large quantities and are shipped in carload
lots to the Northern markets early in the season when prices rule high.

24

Irish Potatoes

In the extreme southern portion of the State, along the Gulf Coast, grapefruit
and oranges of various kinds may be grown quite successfully and profitably. The
flavor of these fruits is so delicate and delicious that practically the entire supply
is consumed on the Southern market.

Vegetables

This is the home of the tomato and nowhere does it thrive better. From one
little village in the central part of the State more than 1,000 carloads are shipped
every season to the Northern markets. Green beans, peas, radishes, asparagus,
cabbages, cauliflower, head lettuce, carrots, onions, peppers, beets, and turnips
make up train loads of foodstuffs that are shipped from this State to the various
markets extending as far north as Seattle.

Sorting and Packing Carrots for Shipment
25

Sweet Potatoes, the Largest Cash Crop of South Mississippi

Sweet Potatoes

Mississippi is the home of the sweet potato, as there is not a soil within its
borders where it will not grow. Of course some types of soil produce a better
quality and flavor than others, just as some soils in the North produce a better
quality of Irish potato than others do. The acreage planted to sweet potatoes in
1918 was 89,000, with an average yield of 95 bushels per acre. The total yield was
8,455,000 bushels, with a total value of $8,793,000, which brings the sweet potato
into third place in value among the State's crops. Increased production is bound
to follow, as the Mississippi-grown sweet potato, especially the Nancy Hall
variety, is coming more and more in favor on the Northern markets, and it is only
a question of time when it will supersede the Jersey sweet. There are already 150
dry kilns, or curing-houses in the State, built by Government plans, and 500 more
will be built during the current year. More than 20 factories are in successful
operation, and where local factories cannot use local supplies, they are marketed
according to the co-operative system, which has proved immensely valuable in
the sale of all farm products in the State. The sweet potato is already the largest
cash crop in South Mississippi and the piney woods sections are finding it a very
valuable agricultural product.

For a comprehensive treatise on Mississippi soils,
write to the Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Sta-
tion, Agricultural College, Mississippi, for Technical
Bulletin No. 7.

26

CORN

Mississippi is rapidly forging ahead and is destined, in our judgment, to
become one of the leading corn-growing states in the Union, and is practically
growing sufficient of this staple to supply its own needs.

This condition has been brought about by many agencies, among the most
important of which are the following: The insistent and systematic effort of the
United States Department of Agriculture, through demonstration work, to have
the farmers of the South grow their own feed crops; the continued efforts of the
Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, with its Experiment Stations
and Extension Department; the advent of the boll weevil; the efforts of the
leading business and professional men of the State; the teaching forces; the
leading farmers; Development Bureaus of some of the more progressive cities;
the railroads and other corporations; the State Department of Agriculture; and
last, but not least, the Boys' Corn Club.

Corn as It Grows in Mississippi
27

Yield

Going back to 1909, the date of the organization of the Boys' Corn Club and
other demonstration work, the average yield of corn was \4)/i bushels to the acre,
with a total yield for the State of 28,429,000 bushels, which was increased in 1917
to the record crop of 83,300,000 bushels.

The above indicates a rather remarkable increase over 1909. However, there
is great opportunity for increasing the acre yield and the acreage planted to this
crop. While the average of the Corn Club boys in 1918 was 46.3 bushels to the
acre, perhaps the average for the State will never reach such a high level, but
certainly the demonstration made by these boys indicates the possibilities. The
rainfall and distribution in the State is of such nature that a total failure in corn
production is impossible.

Records Made by Boys

The Corn Club boys of the State hold many 200 bushel per acre records.
Among those holding such records, the authenticity of which is so well established
that it has never been questioned, are Carlos Reddoch, with a yield of 206.6
bushels, and Carl Graves, with a yield of 202 bushels. And so far as we have been
able to determine, Prof. J. W. Fox, manager for one of the largest plantations
in the Delta, holds the world's record production on a large acreage. On a solid
block of 200 acres he - produced an average of 100 bushels per acre, one
measured acre producing 136 bushels.

Corn, Superior Quality

In point "of .quality, Mississippi corn is unsurpassed. In 1917 it ranked first
and much was exported to Canada and elsewhere to be milled into corn flour.
In 1918, with ada/erse weather conditions, the quality was superior and Missis-
sippi corn commanded a premium. This superior quality is due largely to three
reasons: First, mongrel strains have been supplanted by pure varieties; Second,
pure strains of the white prolific varieties, so well suited to this section, are
being generally grown .and offered to the markets; Third, one of the most
important factors is the long growing season followed by a long dry period after
the time of ripening. The term "frost-dried" corn is not known to the Mississippi
corn grower, as corn brought direct from the field will in many instances test as
low as 12, 14 and 15 per cent moisture.

Possibilities in Corn Culture

By .means of :the most scientific methods of corn culture, the forces of the
Extension Department hope to raise the present high quality of corn now
grown within the State. This will be done by organizing the Corn Improve-
ment Association and by advocating the planting of only four or five of the out-
standing, varieties.

The counties of the State are divided into five districts, and an effort will be
made .tp, secure ^t, least one member for each district of the 82 counties who will
agree to grow five acres of corn under the supervision of the.County Agent, and
who will further agree to field select seed according to the most approved plan.
At the present time there is a fair supply of good seed. Under the above-suggested
plan*'the agencies having the matter in charge hope in due time there will be
available to Qvery farmer in Mississippi an abundance of the very choicest seed ;
corn. • ■ ■ •- -

28

LIVE STOCK

Good land, good live stock and good people are closely allied, if not absolutely
essential, to permanent agricultural prosperity. No better soil or live stock or
people can be found anywhere in \he world than in Mississippi. Farming absorbs
the thought of over 85 per cent of its people, who obtain their livelihood directly
from the soil. The problems of soil maintenance and improvement are vital not
alone to this 85 to 87 per cent, but to the entire population, which is dependent
directly or indirectly upon agricultural production.

Ranking among the great cotton states, Mississippi is fast coming to the front
in the production of live stock, and instead of this industry supplanting cotton as
a money crop, it is rapidly adding one more great source of revenue to the farmers
of the State. From January, 1914, to January, 1918, there was an increase in the
number of hogs in the State from 1,467,000 to 1,902,000, or 29 per cent. During
this same period there was an increase in the number of cattle from 911,000 to
1,152,000, or 26 percent. In 1915 the number of hogs shipped to one of the central
markets from this State was 7,242, while in 1917 it was 88,732. On January 1,
1918, there were 1,902,000, and on January 1, 1919, 2,289,835 head of hogs, with
a total valuation of $35,075,688, as compared with $28,530,000 for January 1.
1918. The improvement in quality has been in keeping with the increase in
numbers. During the past year Mississippi-fed steers have broken records for all
sections and all times on the St. Louis market.

The tendency to produce all cotton is being discouraged and diversification is
rapidly taking the place of the old one-crop system. The crops thus produced can
be most advantageously marketed by means of live stock. By this method the
farmer has learned he can retain from 70 to 75 per cent of the plant food in the
crops grown instead of marketing them.

Among the most important feed crops that can be produced may be mentioned
alfalfa, corn, oats, Lespedeza, grass hays, velvet beans, cow peas, soy beans,
peanuts, sweet potatoes, rye, rape, red and crimson clovers. The velvet bean is
the most important feed crop in the southern part of the State. In the Prairie
Belt, the eastern part of the State, alfalfa is grown without liming the soil and is
closely allied with the live-stock industry in that section; Lespedeza and alfalfa
are especially valuable in the feeding of young cattle, and to successfully carry
on dairying and live stock. Another important factor is cottonseed meal, which
is available in all parts of the State.

Short Winters and Plentiful Pasturage Make an Ideal Live-Stock Country

29

Mississippi Is Fast Coming to the Front in the Production of Live Stock

To embark in the live-stock industry successfully, there must at all times be
an abundance of good pastures well sodded with nutritious grasses. The most
important pasture crops in the north part of the State are Bermuda, Lespedeza,
Paspalum, bur and white clover. In the southern part of the State carpet grass
should be added as a valuable addition to the group mentioned above. When
well set with a mixture of these grasses, a pasture will frequently carry in excess
of one cow per acre. Pastures north, south, east or west can be greatly im-
proved, depending upon the ability of the farmer.

Silos

While a combination of the grasses above named will furnish grazing over a
long season, there are from two to three months each year during which all live
stock should be supplied with feed other than that which may be obtained in the
open field. There is no section in the State where the feed necessary for this
purpose cannot be grown. Silos provide the most economical and efficient means
for storing succulent feed. Silage, together with a small amount of either cotton-
seed meal or velvet beans, will carry stock in good condition through the roughest
weather.

Up-to-date Silos in Mississippi
30

Herd of Pure-Bred Herefords

Improved Live Stock

During the last few years improved blood has been introduced into the State
on a very large scale. Where the "scrub bull" was once monarch of all he surveyed,
the pure-bred Shorthorn, Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Holstein and Jersey may
now be found of the very best breeding and blood lines. State-wide tick eradi-
cation has made possible the bringing of breeding stock from Northern and West-
ern states with the same assurance of safety that may be felt in shipping to any
part of the United States. The winnings of Mississippi animals at the Royal and
International Shows indicate the class of stock which is being bred in the State.
Sales of pure-bred stock, hogs and beef cattle recently held within the State have
broken world's records for prices, and the very best animals in these sales were
purchased by progressive farmers in Mississippi. At the leading pure-bred sales

3d Hereford Bull on a Mississippi Stock Farm
31

of the country, Mississippi breeders have been buying the best bred and best
individual animals, bringing them into this great Commonwealth in order that
their own herds and flocks may be bred up to the point where it may be said,
"Of all that is good, Mississippi has the best." The demand for pure-bred sires
for use on native and grade stock is already being met by breeders within the
State. "Kill the scrub sire" is the slogan for animal husbandry improvement
within the State and together with the tick and razorback hog, the scrub bull is
fast becoming a memory of less efficient times. The beef cattle industry has been
steadily increasing both in numbers and quality. On January 1, 1918, there were
644,000 L.eef cattle in the State, valued at $14,103,000, while on January 1, 1919,
there were 695,000 head valued at $15,985,000.

Important Facts

The following are some of the pungent facts in connection with the live-stock
industry in the State. Because of the mild climate, abundant rainfall, cheap
lands and large varieties of native grasses, Mississippi is certain to play a large
part in the future production of meat animals. More of the work stock used can
and should be produced within the State and would save millions of dollars to the
farmers. Pork can be produced more economically than in those sections where
the long, cold winters prevail, and can be placed on the markets at a season of
the year when the markets are not glutted. All live stock is readily marketed
either direct or through Farmers' Co-operative Shipping Clubs, which are handled
by the County Agent or County Farm Adviser.

Packing plants are located at Natchez, Miss., New Orleans, La., Mobile, Ala.,
and other points, furnishing short freight hauls and near-by markets for live stock.

Cattle That Have Ranged Without Shelter During an Entire Mississippi Winter

32

Enter the Dairy Cow — Exit Want and Poverty

DAIRYING

History repeats itself. Enter the dairy eow, exit want and poverty. Into
whatever community or state the dairy cow enters, affluence follows in her wake.
When the chinch bug had devastated the wheat fields of Iowa and Wisconsin and
the fertility of the soils had been depleted to the point where they were unprofi-
tably productive, the farmers of those states turned to the dairy cow as their only
hope and salvation, and today these two states rank first and third in the output
of dairy products. In communities where the dairy industry is highly developed,
prosperity is unexcelled.

The same conditions prevailed in Mississippi, especially in the uplands and
the Brown Loam section, where the lands had been cropped for over 40 years in
cotton and the soil had been robbed of its fertility. With a soil depleted of fertility
and the advent of the boll weevil, the agricultural situation became alarming, and
it was evident that something must be done to rehabilitate the farm. It was about
1912 that "bossy" entered the warp and woof of the agricultural fabric in the
reconstruction of Mississippi farming. With the modest beginning of one creamery
in 1912, the entire output of which was 17,000 pounds of butter for that year, the
industry has developed to 22 creameries, with an output of 3,062,000 pounds of
butter in 1918, and for which the farmers were paid $1,270,339. Adding to this
the value of the calves and other by-products, including fertilizer, the increased
wealth of the State from the dairy cow will exceed $15,000,000 annually.

The following table shows the steady growth of this industry:

Pounds Number of

Year Butter Creameries

1912

17,000

1

1913

184,027

2

1914

335,851

7

1915

580,074

10

1916

1,560,000

16

1917

2,727,767

20

1918

3,062,000

22

These creameries have experienced no difficulties in finding a ready market
for their entire output, and would welcome a greater production of raw material
for their use, so that dairymen need not hesitate to venture in this highly intensi-
fied phase of farming. These local creameries furnish a stable market, paying the

same price for bntter-fat and milk as prevail in the dairy sections of the United

33

34

States. However, milk and cream can be produced on a much more economical
basis than in the colder climates where the winter feeding season is long, covering
a period of nearly six months, where feeds are made on high-priced land, and where
expensive barns and barn equipment are the limiting factors in the more profitable
production of these products.

MISSISSIPPI HOGS BRING RECORD-BREAKING PRICES

The "razorback" hog in Mississippi is ancient history, and should one be
seen now, it would be considered a curiosity, and would attract as much attention
as the pure-bred when first introduced into the State. In this work the children,
the Boys' and Girls' Pig Clubs, have played the most important part by raising
improved breeds of hogs and thus interesting their parents in breeding up their
flocks. To show what great strides have been made along this line, we quote from
the Manufacturers' Record, under the above caption:

"Mississippi's claims to first place in the South as a hog-growing State took
a leap upward when a new world's record for average price per hog was made at
Fernwood recently at a sale attended by hog breeders from all over the United
States.

The Enochs Farms began breeding fine Duroc-Jerseys only ten months ago.
On January 16, 1919, thirty hogs were sold there for a total of $25,560, an average
of $672.57, the highest average price on record prior to this sale being $510.

Nineteen sows brought an average of $907.40. One of these sows sold for
$2,100, to make her home on another Mississippi stock farm. One went to Neb-
raska for $2,075, and three others brought as much as $2,000 each.

A few days before the Enochs sale was held, 45 head of Durocs at the White
Farms brought $16,000, and the Pine Crest Farm closed a sale recently that
brought almost as high an average as these two, with many individuals bringing
$2,000 or better.

At the Pine Crest sale one ten-months-old boar brought $2,300, a record price
for a pig of this age. His little mate brought $500. The mother of this high-
priced Duroc was bought by her present owner less than a year ago, and he has
netted $1,810 from the sale of her pigs, in addition to retaining possession of the
sow and seven pigs of her latest litter. Counting these, his investment in the one
sow has netted him about $3,600 in less than a year.

These unusual prices clearly show that the South is raising champion hogs,
and that instead of the Southern breeder having to seek the Middle Western
owner, the situation is reversed. Some of the finest Duroc blood on earth is in
Mississippi herds, and breeders from the great hog-raising Middle West are using
Mississippi herd leaders, when a decade ago, a pure-bred Duroc hog was a curi-
osity in Mississippi.

It is not alone from the sale of this fancy breeding stock that the State is
deriving a reputation for producing hogs. One county increased its hog shipments
from $24,000 in 1915 to $218,000 in 1918, and this is indicative of shipments from
the State to the great markets, especially during the war period.

The business is firmly established in all sections of the State. It is interesting
to note that the Enochs and White sales took place in South Mississippi, in the
great cut-over pine section.

"Pigs Is Pigs"

"Pigs is pigs" no matter where they art- raised. But the important factor to be
considered is the cost of production. And in this respect it does make considerable
difference as to where the pig is raised. Mississippi has a long growing season and
a climate and soil that enable her farmers to grow a variety of crops suitable and
almost indispensable in the economic production of pork. The various clovers
and grasses make a splendid pasture, including Lespedeza and alfalfa; peanuts,
cow peas, soy beans, velvet beans, sweet potatoes, rape, winter rye and corn, all
of which grow abundantly and make it possible for Mississippi farmers to produce
pork and other meats cheaper than in sections where short growing seasons
prevail.

35

RAINFALL AND CLIMATE

As given by the United States Weather '

Bureau, the normal monthly and

annual temperature and precipitation in the

Mississippi coast country are as

shown by the following tables:

lVTr*ntli

Temperature

Precipitation

1V1 (JI1L11

Fahrenheit

Inches

January

50.3

6.14

February

53.1

5.38

March

61.4

5.49

April

67.2

7.09

May

75.2

2.05

June

83.1

7.28

July

81.5

6.48

August

81.1

8.31

September

78.8

4.54

October

69.1

2.52

November

59.7

2.98

December

51.8

4.98

63.22

GOOD ROADS

Next in importance to good schools, good churches and good land are good
roads. They are not a luxury, but a necessity, in the making of better homes on
the farm. They form the connecting link between the rural districts and the
cities, local markets, schools, churches and the great industrial centers. Good
roads are the avenues by which education and civilization enter the remote rural
districts, obliterating illiteracy by lifting the barrier that has so long robbed the
boys and girls, men and women of religious, educational and social privileges to
which they were entitled.

One of the Many Good Roads in Mississippi
36

Mississippi has made wonderful strides in the past few years in the construc-
tion of permanent gravel highways, consisting of more than twenty-five hundred
miles, and fully one thousand miles more will be built during the year 1919. Good
roads make travel a pleasure in Mississippi. They make for progress and pros-
perity. They make for greater food production and greater profits, as the farmer
will be in a position to market his crops more economically, and to govern his
marketing in conformity to the law of "supply and demand."

Fine Type of a Mississippi Agricultural High School

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

The educational facilities of Mississippi are abreast of the times and show
constant expansion and improvement. With a great Agricultural and Mechanical
College, Federal and State Experiment Stations, fifty modern Agricultural High
Schools, Federal Farm Demonstration Work and County Demonstrators —
covering the practical field of life's agricultural and industrial equipment — well
ordered and advanced higher educational institutions, and a fine system of both
city graded schools and consolidated schools throughout the counties of the
State, embracing not only regular class work, but also a thorough training in
business, physical culture, domestic science, etc., those moving here from any
section of the United States may feel assured in advance that their children will
have access to as fine and thorough school advantages as anywhere in the world.

Consolidated School
37

MISSISSIPPI HOME DEMONSTRATION WORK

By

Susie V. Powell, Assistant Director

in charge of

Home Demonstration Work

The purpose of Home Demonstration Work is to make for better living con-
ditions in the rural homes and consequently in the rural communities; to afford
farm women and girls opportunity, without leaving their homes, to make the
money they need to improve living conditions, including shelter, food, clothing
and cultural advantages.

In order to obtain these results, it is necessary to have organization and
definite plans of work, which we call projects.

The work began in February, 1911, with the tomato project. The counties
were organized and about 150 girls were enrolled. Since then, as funds from
Federal, State and County appropriations have become available, the work has
increased in scope to include; projects in canning, poultry, gardening, bee-keeping,
clothing and textiles, dairy, basketry and labor-saving machinery for the home.
Projects for house planning, improvement of home grounds and interior decoration
will be put into effect soon.

The conservation of food, clothing and woman power are the three important
features of the work embodied in the above-named projects. The increase in
territory covered is proportionate. About 70 counties now have Home Demon-
stration Agents.

To make for economy and efficiency in the work of the County Home Demon-
stration Agent, and to develop community spirit, the women and girl demon-
strators are organized into community clubs. These clubs co-operate with similar
organizations of men and boys. More than 2,000 such community clubs have been
organized in Mississippi, with a membership totaling about 50,000.

During the war these clubs, under the direction of the Home Demonstration
Agents, were invaluable in promoting all war activities, such as Liberty Bonds,
War Savings Stamps, Red Cross, etc. Thousands of women and girls who have
never had a savings account, invested in Liberty Bonds and War Savings Stamps
and thus learned lessons of thrift.

The main war work of the Home Demonstration Agents was increased food
production through gardens, poultry, dairy and bee-keeping; conservation of food

Annual Returns from Poultry in Mississippi, |$1 0,000,000
38

First Canning Demonstration of the Season

by canning, drying and brining, and utilization of home-grown products to save
transportation of staple foods, such as wheat, meat, sugar and animal fats. A
special cottage cheese campaign to save meat resulted in the making of 343,131
pounds for home use and for market during 1918, and 117,886 pounds of "4-H"
Brand butter was produced for market.

Other home-grown products which were stressed were fish, peanuts, poultry,
peas, beans and native nuts. Demonstrations in the use of these and in the saving
of wheat, meat, fats and sugar, were given to more than 300,000 people.

Special activities of the Home Demonstration Work resulted in the stocking
of 1,000 farm fish ponds; a "kill the rat" campaign resulted in more than 200,000
fatalities to these pests.

At the request of the War Department and the Food Administration, the
Home Demonstration Food Specialists gave instruction at Camp Shelby to the
fifty head cooks in their company kitchens in the economical uses of staple foods.
As a result of this instruction the Quartermaster reports a saving of 1,928,976
pounds of wheat flour, 428,775 pounds of sugar and 171,758 pounds of animal
fat, besides a marked improvement in the quality of the food served to the 30,000
soldiers in the camp. The Home Demonstration Agents also gave assistance to
the bakers in working out recipes calling for a certain percentage of reduction in
wheat flour, and thus prevented them from being closed by the Food Adminis-
tration for failure to comply with food regulations. When the ruling was made
that every dealer in eggs must candle them, a state-wide call was sent to the Home
Demonstration Agents to give instructions in egg-candling to the dealers, as they
had already been giving it to the producers.

Because of the war claims, the orphanages were in a measure being over-
looked, so the Home Demonstration Agents collected and sent 20,000 quarts of
fruits and vegetables from the canning club members to the dependent little ones
in these homes, besides quantities of other food produced and a nice sum of
money.

During the epidemic of influenza these agents have been unremitting in their
co-operation with the Department of Health in combating the plague. Prac-
tically every County Agent used her demonstration kitchen to prepare food to be
delivered to the sick. Several put themselves and their cars at the disposal of the
doctors and nurses. Many of them nursed the sick, until they were them-
selves taken ill. The State workers, with headquarters at A. & M. College, took
charge of the hospital kitchens at the College, where there were about 1,800
drafted men and S. A. T. C. boys. Nearly 1,500 cases of influenza occurred and
about 150 cases of pneumonia. These agents assisted to prepare the food for
these men, the doctors, orderlies and nurses and many visitors who came to see
their sick ones. They cooked meals and washed dishes for twenty-two days and
nights, preparing three meals each day and a midnight supper for the night shift.

39

One County Agent acted under the county physician as visiting nurse to fourteen
cotton mill families who were suffering from "flu." The Home Demonstration
Agents have given instructions and demonstrations in invalid cookery all over
the State and thus helped to combat "flu" with right food.

Short courses for instruction in home-making activities and county and com-
munity fairs have been held in most of the counties and have been of inestimable
value.

About 150 demonstration kitchens have been established by the Home
Demonstration Agents to give instruction to their club members and the public
generally. About 2,000,000 pounds of vegetables were raised and conserved by
the canning club girls and 1,399,590 cans packed by the women. It is estimated
that nearly 3,000,000 cans of fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and game were
packed by those attending demonstrations, but who were not enrolled.

The Home Demonstration Program includes social and recreational, as well
as educational features. This cultural aspect of the work is recognized by the
State Department of Education. The State Superintendent has issued instruc-
tions to the County Superintendents and teachers to co-operate in every way
possible with the Home Demonstration Agents, especially in holding and organ-
izing community clubs, and in keeping the business records of their work. They
are advised to give two units of school credit for four years' satisfactory club work.
The United States Department of Agriculture and A. & M. College jointly issued
certificates to all girls completing four years of club work. More than 200 of
these certificates have been awarded. The largest number of fourth-year certi-
ficates awarded in one year in a county was thirty-three, given to canning club
girls in Lauderdale County.

The primary purpose of Home Demonstration Work is not commercial gain,
but in 1918 the actual reports of Home Demonstration Work show the following
figures:

Canned goods, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and game $750,000.00

Dairy products, butter and cottage cheese 110,412.00

Poultry products 102,310. 00

Saving of food at Camp Shelby 181,765.00

200,000 rats killed 200,000.00

A total of $1,344,487.00

which does not include sundries.

In one county $256.00 worth of pine needle baskets were made and sold.
Holly and other native greenery was sold in a number of counties to the value of
several hundred dollars. More than a thousand fish ponds were stocked. Mere
money could not express the value of the services of these women during the
epidemic of influenza, their influence for better living in the homes, their improved
community spirit and the loyal, patriotic service of the Home Demonstration
Agents in both war and peace.

Distributed by the

CUT- OVER LAND DEPARTMENT

of the

SOUTHERN PINE ASSOCIATION

Subject matter and illustrations furnished through the courtesy of the
U. S. Railroad Administration, Agricultural Section, Division of Traffic

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POOLE BROS. CHICAGO.

iMPHIS 9

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County Map of £-— 1 f^J^j,

MISSISSIPPI

EXPLANATION.

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