The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-01-20
YoR Zee &c cIrY wHIe



FOR THE FAzoo CITY WIG.
The YaZOO Valley.
It's very eviden, to all mon Of observation,
that the YazOO Valley is destined at no dis
tant day TO become most emphatically the
Cotton Garden of Mississippi. While other
portions Of the State are wearing out and be-
coming every year less and less valuable for
cotton growing, this region of country, four
hundred miles long, and sixty broad, is with
a far greater rapidity, becoming more and
more valuable.
Il is not my present purpose TO write an
eulogy upon the soil, timber, and nayigable
facilities of the YazoO valley lands, but TO
offer one or Two practical reflections as to
their suscePtibilities and necessities. and the
remedy for their evils.
Heretofore but very small portion Of this
great body Of land has been considered as
being capable of cultivation By far the
greater portion Of al this region of country
is inundated every year, and large portion
Of The remainder Is ovsrAown every season
lOf high water, such asls36, -'41s Sc 4a $50
that the 9tiIlabIe land is only the ridges
that skirt along he Mississippi. the Vazoo,
land the numerous rivers, bayous, creeks, and
lakes which intersperse the interior. The
inundated lands are invariably Of handsome
surface, fat, OF gently undulating, and very
seldom fail of being we'll covered with excel
lent timber for rails and building. And what
is not generally known, the overfcwed land
is quite as good for cotton as the ridges, il
the water is only kept off. Of this fact am
well assured from experience. As large
heavy cotton as ever raised, or in fact as
ever saw 4 raised in an open Overcup slough
where the water generally rises about four
feet.
Now, the first question which suggests
. itself, is whether this immense body of rich
, Hand can be reclaimed from inundation! and
Il secondly, what practicable plan (if any, car
: be adopted promising to do the most in the
shortest time towards the completion Of ar
D enterprise of most momentous Importance t.
: the State, and particularly our portion oft.
/; know some are ready TO say, this is
: vision Of some wild dreamer thatour child
: rem or our .children's children viii be on TIT
stage time enough to talk on matter of thi
1 kind. To such persons have no reply Il
/, make, but viii go on with my story.
D tits an ascertained fact, well known TO al
$ who have paid particular attention to tn,
/ matter, that the levying Of the bank of tn
: Mississippi between the Pass and the moutl
/. Of the Yazoo. which has already been dom
: by the planters who have settled there sine
# about 1888, has had the effect of lesseninl
the water in the Yazoo about from four to sii
feet. Every mile Of levy that is made keep
that muchgw ater from coming this way, I
cannot them Be doubted. think, that il th
bank Of the river generally was levied be
tween those points It would reclaim from
Intimidation almost the whole ofthisimmens
body Of land. The sloughs, bayous, an
s deep places need not be filed up, for the
cannot afford water enough in one freshe
season % do any damage.
Then. how ought the levy to be made!
presume three-fcur.hs. o. perhapsa fer great
or proportion Of the land thus % Be feclaime
IL - pubnc lanqs hSA VIZ Se94ts1 g s1gfsIA
!, ment is interested 70 an extent fer create
than the probable cost 81 making the levy
) The probability Is The Government has az
less than Eve millions ofacres of land in ID
Yazoo valley most Of which land is At pre-
sent worth nothing, but reclaimed from il
undatiOn, would probably be mostly entere
iol in ten years.
' II is the opinion Of many persons wit
= whom I have conpefssd Oh the snbieels Tai
. the Genersl Governnsnt would make Ia
,h levy il proper representation 6 the who
q mater was made @ Congress. gopcprrint
&. as a., ID this view ansiill however
Is opinion thai IN inj tiops gsmatui