way. We have land to spare they have people enough to spare 

 to fill these lands. With proper inducements may we not expect 

 to fill up our excess of lands with this thrifty, hardy class, as the 

 newer states of the West have done ? May the tide flowing across 

 our northern border into Canada not be turned southward? 



This is the most rational and feasible way, and perhaps only 

 in this way can the problem be seriously attacked in a large 

 way. As long as there is a disparity between land and population, 

 as has existed heretofore, there will be waste. Certainly we are 

 blamable if we fail to do all that can be done to reduce the waste 

 of our land. It is not our heritage alone, but belongs equally to 

 those who come after us. We fall far short of the promise of 

 our civilization if we fail to develop that spirit of altruism that 

 regards the man who lives after us as much our neighbor as the 

 man who lives beside us. We cannot disregard the rights of 

 either. 



Lest some who may read the above discussion might draw the 

 erroneous conclusion that our State is in worse condition than 

 is actually the fact, and that a feature painfully prominent in 

 certain regions is characteristic of *the whole, it has seemed to 

 the writer not remiss to present in conclusion something showing 

 the reverse side of the dark picture drawn. 



Could every reader of this paper but visit and see for him- 

 self all parts of our fair State, rich and beautiful, and pregnant 

 with possibilities yet but half developed, no words would be 

 necessary to convince the most pessimistic of her great future. 

 Since such is not possible, however, no more fitting presentation 

 of Mississippi's Agricultural potentialities can be produced than 

 the appended address of Dr. W. J. McGee, of the United States 

 Soil Bureau, who has done more to advance the knowledge of 

 geological and soil problems in Mississippi than perhaps any man 

 who has never resided within the State. 



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