Dixie Is Doing Her Bit

DIXIE IS DOING HER BIT 879

The value of cotton in 1917, seed not included, showed an increase of $390,000,000, or less than one-fifth of the net increase in the total value of all farm crops. The total value of the cotton crop, taking December 1st quotations as a basis, amounted to $1,517,000,000. When the value of the seed is added to this, we have a total of about $2,000,000,000. The grain crop of the South in 1917 aggregated 1,600,000 000 bushels, the increase in the South being nearly one-half of the total increase of the entire United States. If we add to the value of the farm crops in the South in 1917 the value of its animal products we get the staggering sum of seven billions of dollars. This year in one southern state alone, Georgia, the federal estimate of live stock products is placed at 4,564,000 head. Georgia is representative of the South.

King Cotton —Picking Time If a comparison is made of ten representative northern and western states,Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, the Dakotas, Colorado and New Mexico with ten representative southern states. Georgia, Alabama, Mississ- Oklaippi, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, homa, Arkansas and Tennessee, the figures are none the less illuminating. The figures show that in 1915 the southern states produced 774,045,000 bushels of corn as against 663,405,000 grown in the and in 1917 the corn production ten northern and western states, the ran to 665,738,000 and 626,817,000 bushels, respectively, in southern states produced two groups of states. In addition the in 1917, 75,000,000 bushels of wheat, 120,000,000 bushels of oats,

880 IMPROVEMENT ERA

26,000,000 bushels of Irish potatoes, 70,000,000 bushels of sweet potatoes, and 7,400,000 tons of hay, not to mention the enormous quantities of peanuts, beans, peas and other food products. The value of farm crops in Kansas last year was $142,000, 000 less than the value in Georgia, and $28,000,000 less than the value in South Carolina. Even Nebraska, with its great agricultural wealth, fell short of the crop value for Georgia SI 0,000,000. Of the increase of wheat acreage in the United States in 1917, considering winter wheat only, of course, totaling, 1,636,000, 1,030,000 is credited to the South. It is interesting to note here that Alberta Red wheat from Western Canada is being tested near Atlanta, and the writer was agreeably surprised to see such a luxuriant and healthy stand this far south. It will be readily seen from the foregoing figures that Dixie, like every other part of the United States, feels the responsibility resting upon America, the U. S. and Canada, the task of feeding the world. There will be no slacking up in production. In the South the labor problem is not likely to be serious in view of the great colored supply. The state governments are 1

passing measures to make everyone serve in some vital industry. Governor Hugh Dorsey says that in Georgia the vagrants will "either have to go to the farm or the chain gang." The South will "Go Over the Top" again in food production. This year in every state, the acreage is materially increased. While the showing last year, the first year of the war, was very creditable, the South has by no means reached the maximum of its capabilities, and this year will distance any previous record. Atlanta, Ga.

Little Nell

There'8 a little mound up yonder where the sego lilies grow. Underneath its tangled grasses lies my "little drift of snow." I can see her clothed in beauty, like a shadow in the gloom,

As she came one summer morning when the roses were in bloom. Down the years she came creeping, like the sunshine on the floor; And with tiny clinging fingers opened a responsivt door Of my heart, and crept right in, and all my life seemed glorified, And my spirit was exalted with a deep and holy pride. As she blossomed like a lily, in her eyes of sunny blue You could catch a glimpse of heaven with the glory shining through, Like an echo of the sunset on a mountain torn apart. I can feel her still a-clinging to the bosom of my heart. When the sun set o'er the valley and the purple shadow fell, How my star of hope would glitter as I clasped my little Nell. But her soul was like an angel, too divine for me to keep, So they laid her 'ueath the daisies when the roses fell asleep. Theo. E. Curtis

The Return of the Jews ii To Regain Palestine and Rebuild their Cities and Temple is the — Dream of the Chosen People Consolation in Ancient, Prophetic Promises

By E. H. Lund

Today the Jews are a very widely scattered race. They may be found in practically every nation and community on the face of the globe. Once so highly favored of the Lord, the children of Israel were driven from the land of their inheritance, thereafter without a country and homeless, a shunned people and ostracized even as the Nazarenes of old, and have become a "hiss and a byword in the earth." Now, however, after these many centuries of drivings, hissings and buffetings, the time seems to have arrived when the Lord is to make good his promise, wherein he said: "I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead" (Jer. 50:19). It is also written that, after the Lord shall have punished and "judged Israel according to their doings," in the "latter times" the dispersed of Judah should be recalled. The scriptures are replete with prophecies and the word of the Lord that they shall be regathered, that He will have compassion upon them and "will save his flock, and they shall no more be a prey." They are to be taken from among the nations whither they have been scattered and brought again into their own land, "and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel," saith the Lord; "and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all" (Ezekiel 37:21,22). The Book of Mormon also prophetically affirms the fact that Israel "shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God. in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance" (2 Nephi 10:6-8; see also 6:11 and 25:15-18). From a study of Holy Writ, together with a retrospective view of the historical data of the past two hundred years or so taking note of the many great and important events that have — crowded upon each other it would appear that all things com-