[6] 



lessness of consequences a sort of &quot; devil take the hindmost&quot; prin 

 ciple, which cannot but leave its impress upon the moral and intellec 

 tual life of a community. It has been well and truly said of late by a 

 distinguished philosopher, that after all, our progress and civilization 

 has no more important result to show, nor any more faithful exponent, 

 than the improvement of our homes including kitchen, pantry, dining 

 room, parlor and bed-room ; front and back yard, out-houses, orchards 

 and fields. The correctness of this remark may not strike every one 

 forcibly at first, but a little reflection will demonstrate its strict truth. 

 And, gentlemen, refined, cheerful and pleasant homes are everywhere 

 the marks of an intelligent, refined and moral community they are 

 practically interdependent, even as, exceptional cases apart, we judge 

 of the faith by the ivorks which should be its outgrowth. 



OUR OLD FIELDS. 



What do we see all over the State what do strangers see in passing 

 along our great commercial highways, the Jackson and Mississippi 

 Central Railroads ? I will tell you the first impression of a gentleman 

 I lately met at Grand Junction, who came direct from Texas, via New 

 Orleans. Said he: &quot;I don t see how you Mississippi people make a 

 living either your land is miserably poor, or you have abused it 

 awfully. Why, the whole country along that railroad looks like a 

 turkey gobbler that has been pulled through a briar bush by the tail.&quot; 



Now, I doubt whether on the whole they do things on a more rational 

 plan in Texas ; but then, their lands are fresh, their time has not come 

 yet. But, gentlemen, ours has and it is time we were seeing about it. 



Let me tell you another remark it was made by a federal general, 

 whom we of North Mississippi have reason to remember, and to whom 

 I once applied for protection for the University buildings. He was in 

 a bad humor, having found the country rather too bare of supplies for 

 his men. So, hearing that I was che State Geologist, he inveighed 

 against the false reports that were current as to the productiveness of 

 the soil. Said he : &quot;Talk about the fertile soil of Mississippi ! Why, 

 d n it, it s all like tfiat!&quot; and he kicked spitefully at a pile of red sand 

 dug from a cistern near by. You see, he and our friend, the Texan, 

 had quite the same impression on their minds. I leave you to say 

 whether, so far as the highways and older settlements of the State are 

 concerned, it is not fully justified. 



From Ripley to Jackson Court House from Holly Springs to Wood- 

 ville, do we not find many of our towns and county seats in danger of 

 going &quot;down hill&quot; from the encroachment of the red washes; and 



