Mississippi

one of the Gulf States of the American Union. The name of the state is derived from that of the river. The Mississippi River forms the western boundary of the state from the thirty-fifth to thirty-first parallels of north latitude. The boundary line follows the thirty-first parallel from the Mississippi to the Pearl River; thence it follows that stream to the Gulf. The eastern boundary runs in a direct line from the mouth of Bear Creek in the Tennessee River, a little west of south to what was formerly the northwestern corner of Washington County on the Tombigbee; thence direct south to the Gulf. The distance from the Gulf to Tennessee is 333 miles. The greatest distance from Alabama to the Mississippi is 188 miles. Owing to the jog cut out by eastern Louisiana, the state has a Gulf line of but eighty-eight miles. The area is 46,340 square miles.

HISTORICAL. The state was visited by De Soto in 1539. The Mississippi River was explored by Marquette and La Salle in 1673 and 1682 respectively. The French under Iberville attempted a settlement at Biloxi. Natchez was settled in 1716. France ceded the region to Great Britain in 1763. Part was acquired by the United States at the close of the Revolution in 1783. The remainder was acquired with Florida in 1811. Mississippi Territory was organized in 1798. The state was admitted in 1817. It seceded January 9, 1861. The "Mississippi Tigers" gave a good account of themselves in the Civil War. The state was readmitted in February, 1870.

MINERALS. Mississippi consists almost entirely of lands made by the wash from an early continent. The rocks are of recent geological origin. The highest altitude in the state does not exceed 1,000 feet. Clays, mineral waters, marl, phosphate, lime, gypsum, and a little coal constitute the sole mineral wealth of the state.

WATERSHED. The annual rainfall is from forty-eight to fifty-eight inches. The rivers of the east find their way directly to the Gulf. Those of the western portion drain into the Mississippi. The principal interior streams are the Big Black, the Yazoo, the Tombigbee, and the Pearl. The northwestern corner of the state touches the Tennessee for a few miles.

CHARACTERISTICS. The eastern portion of the state is a prairie. The west was covered originally with a dense forest. The most important tree is the yellow pine. There are also forests of oak, gum, poplar, ash, black walnut, maple, and hickory. There are over a dozen varieties of oak. There are in all, about a hundred different kinds of forest trees, including the persimmon, magnolia, holly, and sweet gum, not seen in the Northern States. The sawmills of the state are at present busily engaged in converting the oak and pine into lumber. Considerable turpentine and resin are obtained. The forests still shelter the deer, catamount, wolf, and wildcat. An occasional black bear is seen. There are still a few alligators, although they have been all but exterminated for the sake of their hides. Brilliant hued paroquets are hunted for their plumage. Wild turkeys, quails, and partridges are the present game birds. Waterfowl winter in the state and go north in the spring to nest. Dense canebrakes and cypress swamps are found in the lowlands. The Mississippi bottom contains a great number of crescent-shaped lakes or cut-offs, occupying former bends of the river.

AGRICULTURE. Agriculture is the principal industry of the state. The Mississippi bottom is of extraordinary fertility. Sugar is produced on the lowlands. Cotton is the great staple of the uplands. Indian corn grows everywhere. Named in order of financial importance, the products of the state rank as follows: cotton, corn, cottonseed, vegetables, sweet potatoes, hay and forage, peas, potatoes, and oats. Wheat is a minor crop, only a few thousand bushels being produced annually. Other crops of some importance are rice, tobacco, peanuts, and onions. The annual value of agricultural products is about $130,000,000, over half of which is credited to cotton. The state is noted for its fruit. Peaches, apples, plums, pears, cherries, and apricots rank in the order named.

INDUSTRIES. Cotton ginning and cutting lumber constitute three-fourths of the entire manufacturing industry. The first cottonseed oil mill in the United States was erected at Natchez in 1834. The population in 1900 was 1,551,270, including 2,300 Indians. Fifty per cent of the population is colored. Jackson is the capital. Vicks-burg is the largest city. A double system of education is maintained, one set of schools for white children, the other for colored. Secondary education is controlled largely by private schools and denominational colleges. The state maintains an agricultural and industrial college at Stark-ville and a normal school for colored teachers at Holly Springs. The state university was located at Oxford in 1844. The Baptist church is the leading denomination. The Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Disciples of Christ, and Episcopalians rank in the order named.

STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources:

Mississippi Bubble. See Law; John