2242 NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



largely as to be shipped in carload lots from a number 

 of towns in the northeastern and central districts. The 

 crop grown more widely than any other is the tomato, 

 which is grown in all parts of the state, and which is 

 shipped by the carload to all parts of the country from 

 Boston to St. Paul, Omaha and Denver. Many single 

 growers ship by carlots, and in June from ten to twenty 

 cars are shipped daily from Crystal Springs, which is 

 south of Jackson, with nearly as many from Madison 

 Station and Booneville, besides smaller shipments from 

 many other points. In 1911 more than 1,000 carloads 

 of vegetables were shipped from Crystal Springs, the 

 shipments ranking in importance in the order named, 

 viz., tomatoes, cabbages, beans, carrots, peas, turnips, 

 beets. 



From the central district, shipments are made about 

 as follows: Beans, May 10 to June 10; beets, April 20 

 to June 15; cabbage, May 1 to June 5; carrots, April 

 20 to June 10; melons (Gem), June 20 to July 20; 

 peaches, June 1 to August 1; peas, March 25 to April 25; 

 potatoes, Irish, May 10 to June 15; radishes, March 1 

 to April 15; squash, summer, May 15 to June 15; straw- 

 berries, April 1 to May 10; turnips, March 20 to May 15; 

 tomatoes, May 25 to July 4; watermelons, July 1 to 

 August 1. 



There are a number of canneries in the state, the 

 most successful being those at Booneville and Biloxi, 

 but ordinarily growers find it more profitable to ship 

 products to northern markets than to sell at prices 

 which canners can afford. Partial reports from other 

 points indicate that shipments, in carlots, amount to 

 not less than 8,000 cars annually, in addition to nearly 

 as much more which is shipped in small lots. The north- 

 eastern and central districts ship principally to north- 

 ern markets, while the Gulf coast district finds its 

 markets in Mobile, New Orleans, and on the many 

 foreign vessels loading in Ship Island harbor. Nearly 

 the entire business has been developed in the last twenty- 

 five years, and each succeeding year shows a marked in- 

 crease in its volume. New localities are being opened, 

 the work is constantly better organized, and, with the 

 increase of the business, the markets are becoming 

 more steady, prices more uniform, and the profits more 

 satisfactory than in the early days. The business has 

 by no means reached its full development, and will not 

 do so for years to come. 



Among the men who have been influential in 

 establishing horticultural industries in Mississippi was 

 the late W. R. Stuart, of Ocean Springs, to whom 

 much of the present volume of the pecan interest 

 is due, a development that promises much for the 

 state. 



Public-service agencies for- horticulture. 



The land-grant college of Mississippi was established 

 at Agricultural College in 1880. The institution is 

 near Starkville, in the northern half of the state. At the 

 present time (1915) there are four members of the 

 horticultural staff. 



The central Experiment Station is located at Agri- 

 cultural College and there are three branch stations at 

 Holly Springs, McNeil, and Stoneville. Two of these 

 branch stations are carrying on experimental work in 

 horticulture. Seventeen horticultural bulletins have 

 been issued. 



The nurseries of the state are inspected each year by 

 the entomologist of the Experiment Station. 



Statistics (Thirteenth Census). 



The approximate land area reported in 1910 was 

 29,671,680 acres, of which 62.5 per cent is in farms. 

 The improved land in farms, numbered 9,008,310 

 acres; the woodland in farms, 7,883,558 acres; and 

 the other unimproved land in farms numbered 1,665,- 

 665 acres. The total number of farms in Mississippi 

 in 1910 was 274,382. The number of acres in the 



average farm was 67.6. [The total area of Mis- 

 sissippi is 46,865 square miles, by the latest calcula- 

 tions.] 



The leading agricultural crops in Mississippi are 

 cotton (including cotton seed), cereals, hay and forage, 

 and sugar crops, and also forest products of the farm. 

 Cotton is by far the most important of the farm crops. 

 The acreage increased from 2,897,920 in 1899 to 3,400,- 

 210 in 1909, when the value of the production was 

 $96,353,433, or 65.4 per cent of the total value of all 

 crops. Cereals decreased in acreage from 2,372,065 in 

 1899 to 2,270,503 in 1909, when the value of the prod- 

 ucts was $26,864,772. Hay and forage increased in 

 acreage from 99,261 acres in 1899 to 229,705 in 1909, 

 an increase of 131.4 per cent, when the value of the 

 products was $3,363,647. The value of the products 

 from 42,731 acres devoted to sugar crops amounted to 

 $1,851,178. The value of forest products of farms in 

 1909 was $6,602,943, as compared with $3,023,626 in 

 1899. Among crops with no acreage reports, the mis- 

 cellaneous crops had a value in 1909 of only $5,740 

 and in 1899 of $2,845; seeds had a value of $1,047 in 

 1909 and $1,185 in 1899. 



Horticultural crops produced are fruits and nuts, 

 small-fruits, vegetables, including potatoes and sweet 

 potatoes and yams, and flowers and plants and nursery 

 products. The value of the fruits and nuts produced in 

 1909 was $1,579,752, as compared with $497,779 in 1899. 

 The acreage occupied by small-fruits decreased from 

 1,549 in 1899 to 836 in 1909, when the production 

 was 1,407,301 quarts, valued at $107,171. In 1909 

 the total acreage of potatoes and other vegetables 

 was 125,610 and their value $9,483,576. Excluding 

 potatoes and sweet potatoes and yams, the acreage 

 of vegetables was 61,223 and their value $5,868,275. 

 Flowers and plants and nursery products increased in 

 acreage from 243 in 1899 to 572 in 1909, when the 

 value of the production was $175,267, as against 

 $58,212 in the year 1899. 



The production of orchard-fruits in 1909 was 1,634,- 

 305 bushels, an increase of 167.5 per cent over 1899. 

 Peaches and nectarines, and apples produced most of 

 this quantity. The number of peach and nectarine 

 trees of bearing age in 1910 was 1,726,298; those not 

 of bearing age, 724,895. The production in 1909 was 

 1,156,817 bushels, valued at $925,288. The number of 

 apple trees of bearing age in 1910 was 427,652; those 

 not of bearing age, 425,323. The production in 1909 was 

 265,841 bushels, valued at $213,714. Pears and plums 

 and prunes were of relative importance in 1909, there 

 being produced 101,288 bushels of pears, valued at 

 $96,777, and 101,974 bushels of plums and prunes, 

 valued at $79,971. There were also produced in Missis- 

 sippi, in 1909: 2,819 bushels of cherries, valued at 

 $3,749; 2,277 bushels of apricots, valued at $2,510; 

 2,725 bushels of quinces, valued at $2,863; and 564 

 bushels of mulberries valued at $634. 



The grape-vines of bearing age in 1910 numbered 

 77,012; those not of bearing age, 34,870. The pro- 

 duction decreased from 1,070,625 pounds in 1899 

 to 760,563 pounds in 1909, when it was valued at 

 $44 262 



The total production of nuts in 1909 was 866,504 

 pounds, valued at $90,885. Pecans are by far the most 

 important of the nuts, producing in 1909, 637,293 

 pounds, valued at $79,936. In addition, 66,492 pounds 

 of Persian or English walnuts were produced, valued 

 at $6,949, and 151,406 pounds of black walnuts, valued 

 at $3,700. 



Tropical fruits were produced in 1909 to the value 

 of $119,129. Figs are the most important, there being 

 produced in 1909, 1,949,301 pounds of figs, valued at 

 $107,609. Oranges are apparently increasing since the 

 number of orange trees of bearing age in 1910 was 

 10,452, and those not of bearing age, 38,637. The pro- 

 duction of oranges in 1909 was 3,779 boxes, valued at 



