New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-10
The Soutberners at Home go. No. IL
From the Journal Of Northern Traveller On Horsooaes'

famous region ever saw. The read seems adihi-
rably engineered, yet you are yearly al the time
mounting OF descending the siaes Of protuoerances
or BARNS, ribs or dikes. At oEe place 1t follows
along the top Of crooked ridge, steepslded anu
regular for nearly quarter Of mile a. a nign
eartb-work Of rarosd, bat sharper in Its curves
A man might jump of anywhere aud land inrF
feet below 1t is too precipitous here for cuti'a-
ton and the dense native forest remains, chlehy
consisting Of oaks and :nagnohas Of Hze reauy
stupendous, crowded as they stand.
IMPORTAST TO BUSINESS MEN.
Tie ridge, man .Old me, had been famous
place for robteries. 1t seems it is not far to Inc
Mississippi bottoms.
Thar couldn't be-" said be, "a better loca-
ton for teller that wanted 70 foller that business
There was one chap at it there>a spell ago wno
built himself cabin tOther side the rlyer. lie
used to come over in a dug-Out. He could paddle
bis dug-out up the swamp, you see, TO WITHIN TWO
mile Of the ridge; then, when be stopped man
he'd run through the woods to his dug out, and be-
fore the MN could get help, he'd be tother side the
Mississippi, sttin in his housen as honest as you
be-"
We had also another story Of the ridge, about
ROLLAwAY IN IRONS.
"Mr. Allen up here caught a runaway once ana
started to take him down 10 WOodyiie to the jail
He put him in irons and carried him along IN MS
Weqgin. The niger was peaccabe and submissive
til lhey got along onto that yer ridge place When
they got thar all Of a sudden he gin a jump, and
over he went twenty foot plum down the'sde OF the
ridge at the first jump. Fore Allen could stop hl'
hoss he'd tumbled and rolled himself way out oil
sight. He started right away after hun, but lie
never cotched a sightOn him agn.'
HILLSIDE COTTON CULTURE.
Not far north Of the ridge, plantations are found
again, though the country continues bat little less
tubercuous in surface i have never seen else
where such steep slopes extensively cultivated
The hill. sides are plOwed in such a manner that
each filrrCw forms d narrow terrace perfectly level
in its whole length. 1t is usual am told, 10 sta Se
out guiding burrows in the first place, at short DIS
tances apart, with an instrument "a leyel). Alter
the fret blowing thus scientifically directed, the
lines are followed in subsequent cultivation, year III
and year out 80 long rs soil enough remains "
grow cotton in with sufficient profit.
The motive Of this method Is to make the water,
in heavy rains, fow evenly over a succession OF
steps 10 prevent its collecting IN rills and streams
and so eullying and washing down the soil. On the
hills recently brought into cultivation, broad serpe
tine bitches having fall of from two to four inches
in rod, have been very frequently constructed:
these are intended TO prevent the formation oi rS
and their consequent gulLes. OF course these pre-,
cautions are not perfectly successful, the cultivated
hills in spite Of them losing soil every year IN mel
ancholy manner.
ABANDONED PLANTATIONS.
| passed during the day four or five large planta-
tions. with what had been comfortable mansions,
stables and negro quarters, abandoned, and given up
to decay, the hillsides quilted like icebergs.
The new land is, perhaps, in its natural state, the
richest in the world. Ii appears perfectly black
s.paaa All IN III
expected to bear bale and half of cotton to the
acre or eight or ten bales TO each OF the able slave
force But from the cause described its productive
ness rapidly decreases.
Originally much of this country was covered by a
natural growth of cane. There are various nutr-
cious grasses indigenous to it. A good Northern
farmer would deem 1t crying shame aud SIN 10 AT
tempt TO grow any crops constantly upon such steep
stones except grasses or shrubs which do not
reduire tillaee. The waste of soil which attends
the practice is much greater than would be al inc
North. and notwithstanding the unappeasa0e de-
mand OF tie world for cotton, lts bad economy con-
.,derng the subject nationally, cannot be doubted,
and must be greatly regretted by every patriot.
Unfortunately the nature Of slave labor Is such tat
il forces the communities which II Is sadded 70
provide for the immediate emduments OF few lndl-
ylduals at rulIOus waste Oi their eleInehI"' IT,
sources of wealth.
If these slopes were thrown into broad terraces
with turfed or stone faced escarpmes, the fertility
of the soil would BE- preserved, even with constant
tilaCe. In this way these bills might continue Tor
ages to produce annual crops OF greater value 'nan
those which are at present obtained from them 81
such destructive expense, from ten to twenty crops
Of cotton rendering them absolute deserts. The
time will probably come when the soil now washing
from them into the adjoining swamps VIII be
brought back perhaps, oil the heads oi our descend
ants. ss IN the manner Hue describes in China, aud
which NAV be seen also in the Rhenlsh vineyards,
to be read on the sunny slopes In pots and baskets
10 grow the luxurious cotton H. Cerlaiiu! IL VIII
not be long before cotton will be lar more e1peh
siye material than silk if the whole supply OF Christ
epdom is to continue to be grown only III the son
which will be left accessible in the region al present
deemed to be specially adapted to its production.
The plantations are all large, but, except IN SIZE
and perhaps IN their rather unusually good
tillage, display no signs OF wealthy PROPRIETOR
ship. Most of them seem TO be surrendered
Ia the sole care Of oyerseers, having Out
small and mean residences upon them only no"
and then neat cottage indicates inc OCCASIONAL
presence of an owner No poor "hi'e PecPie i've
upon the road, nor in all this country oi rich SOILS
are they seen. except en- rOyage. In distance OF
seventy five miles | saw no houses without negro
cabin. attached and thought there were MY slaves
As AN average 10 every white family resident IN The
country under my view. There Is sinan sand! re-
pion about WoodviAe, which | passed through after
nightfal, and which, Of course, my note does not
include.
called in the afternoon, at one OF The hrst houses
/ Jaw dunng the day which seemed not 10 De the
residence OF planter overseer 10 obtain iodshe
No ole but a negro woman and children was AZ
hong. The woman said her master never took IN
strangers: there was man few miles further on
who did: it was The only place she knew Of where
Was hkel, to be entertained
found the place-a common small nouSe' EN-
IDENTITY the pronrietor was the poorest rrIan Whose
hcuse had passed during the day but be mad
seyer.l slaves; one of them at eas1' hnt-cIass