The Jones County News

Plant Hay and Food Crops.

Four weeks ago the Department of Agriculture through its official means of communication with the people gave a summary of crop conditions in Mississippi that might have been termed rather gloomy, and that was the only way in which it could be sensibly viewed. Three weeks of incessant, and in many localities enormous, rains had fallen and the crops were in an especially bad condition. This was followed by a few days of good weather and then came the rain again. Not in such quantities as before, but local showers that scarcely missed a section of the state, which condition prevails at the time this is written.

Crops are small today for the season of the year where worked out and generally grassy. A considerable portion of the cotton has not been worked and will not be, having been nearly abandoned. Some of the older corn has been lost for lack of work, becoming hard and round and beyond the stage where it can recover and even make half a crop. We are in a pretty bad shape and no amount of persistent work can or will make good the losses sustained. Then it behooves our people to do that which is next best. Look well to food and forage crops for use next year. Mr. R. L. Murdock, of Carroll county, gives some pertinent advice along this line which is here reproduced.

You ask me if I could suggest anything that would probably be of benefit and interest for the general good of the country. I think I can. We are having one of the most disastrous years in the history of the country for growing crops. Rain, rain and more rain. Crops are choked up in the grass and if we had dry weather from now on there would be no possibility of making and harvesting a full crop. What I want to say is this: It seems that the day of cheap foodstuff for both man and beast has gone by never to return again, and that you would be doing the country a service to warn our people of the impending danger that threatens and urge the people through the excellent means at your command to begin at once for sowing a bumper crop of fall oats and the gathering of all hay possible. Also the putting up and caring for food crops for themselves. Give the alarm and sound a note of warning."

It should not be necessary to add anything to the suggestion made by Mr. Murdock. The matters he proposes should be taken care of every year and more especially this. If our regular money crops are not up to the standard more is the reason that every precaution should be taken against the necessity of buying the following year. Mississippians have always handled such propositions in a sensible manner and it is safe to predict that this will not be an exception.