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here quite extensively, the main crop maturing' in July, while a second crop, maturing in October, often gives a good profit. Cabbage, lettuce, peas, beets, radishes, turnips and other hardy vegetables grow well during the entire winter, and all which are grown in excess of the local demand give good profits when shipped to Northern markets. Fruit growing is as successful and profitable as is market gardening. Grapes are always uniformily satisfactory, making a vigorous growth and bearing heavily on all classes of soils. Peach trees bearing fruit of fine quality are common in every fence corner, and nowhere else do the finer Japanese plums do better than here. The woods are full of blackberries and dewberries, while strawberries planted in August make a heavy yield the following spring. Pear trees grow unusually well, bear heavily, and affected by blight no more than in other parts of the country.
FRUIT CULTUKE.
Oranges have been grown here for many years, and though an occasional winter injures the trees by killing the tops, they sprout from the roots and soon begin bearing again. Japanese persimmons, olives, guavas and other semi-tropical fruits are grown in nearly every garden. The fig, however, is the one fruit which is universally grown and most highly prized. Every old garden has a few fine old trees which never fail to bear heavy annual crops For several years past the canning factories have bought all the figs they could get, and have paid good prices for them.
The Officials of Hancock County consist of the Sheriff, A. J. Carver; Circuit and Chancery Clerk, W. W. Stockstill; Tax Assessor, F. C. Bordages, Sr.; Treasurer, J. Saucier and Superintendent of Education, John Craft; County Surveyor. E. S. Drake; Representative to the Legislature is Hon. E J. Gex; the newly elected Representative is Hon. R. L. Genin.
The assessed valuation in Hancock County totals over $3,000,000.
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i AY ST.
Famous as a Summer, Winter and Health Resort—as a noted Educational Centre and is also the Capital of Hancock County.
Formerly known as the town of Shieldboro. this lovely little city, being only fifty-one miles from New Orleans, is the favorite summer resort for the wealthiest and most aristocratic inhabitants of this great Southern metropolis.
We could well compare this Eden of health and picturesqueness to a richly hued flower, spreading glowing petals North, South, East and West. When sunshine bathes it in splendor, or storm’s fierce swirl drop-5 its smoked silver veil, it claims the undiputeable right to be called “Bautiful Bay St. Louis.”
The beach gilded by nature and embellished by man, extending upward three miles or more from the center of the Bay, winds gracefully into a verdurous point adorned by cedars; running downward from the center four miles terminates at the traditional Jackson House, where tall grasses pierce the earUi with emerald blades and radiance flings through aged trees, with heavily leafed boughs, casting dark shadows, and flowers, nodding gaily turbaned heads over crumbling bahks.
Seven miles>in length, this drive-way, with its grand sea view, ’‘s gliAte.ning beach, with richly colored ribboned edge, lendin “Tiflgence to its snowy surface, its magnificent and ideal s	tr residences imbedded in gardens, where various
bloss'v	ep fronj foliage or lean carressing” about columns