Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-09-01

twenty five cents an acre. The raising of horses wealthy without any labor except the mere care required to drive them up occasionally and salt them.
 Some attention has been paid lately to the raising of sheep. John B. Luce, esq, of Se- bastian county, tried the experiment, and we have been told, was eminenty successful We would be 'pleased:to receive from him and from all others who have tried like experiments an account of their success, and would take pleas ure in publishing such letters on the subject as may be sent to us for publication. In White county, several prominent gentlemen have im- ported sheep of celebrated breeds as also has periments, we are told, have proved eminently successful
 As grain producing and stock raising coun- try, western Arkansas affords fairer field for investment in lands and stock than any country in the world. If cheap lands, healthy coun- try, pure water and rich returns for labor are inducements, they may be found here. Be- sides these, in all the counties bordering on the rivers cotton is raised and is, in fact, the prin- cipal export down the Arkansas and White rivers.
 The northeastern portion of the State on the borders of the Mississippi and St. Francis rivers is low and swampy. As we proceed westward, the country becomes higher and is rapidly filling up with an enterprising popula- ton; some of the counties in this country are said to be quite unhealthy, while others are re- markable for their healthfulness If we in- clude in this portion, the counties of Monroe, Crittenden, Phillips, and others, we find some of the wealthest counties in the State, and some of the best cotton lands in the world.- The south eastern portion, with the exception of the pine regions, is a rich and prosperous country. The lands on the Ouachita, Misss- sippi and Arkansas rivers and on Bayou Bar tholomew, are hardly exceled by any in the world.
 It will be seen that Arkansas offers induce ments to all classes of farmers To the man with limited force she offers the northwest with its advantages for grain raising For the heavy planter, she has the rich lands on the principal rivers, in bodies from 16O to thou sands of acres. Within the past year, real es- tate has advanced from fifty to seventy-fve per cent. Of the fourteen millions of vacant government lands in the State at least ten mil lions of it, is capable of tillage The State owns several million of acres of swamp lands, small portion of which is irreclaimed, another portion will require much expense to render It lit for cultivation, but the greater part of it, by dltching, draining and some by merely be- ing cleared will make as good cotton lands as can be found anywhere. To actual settlers government lands are offered at the graduated prices. Swamp lands are sold a: fifty and seventy-fve cents an acre. There are thou sunds of acres of good lands yet unappropriated, but the best bodies of land have been taken up. Improved plantations in the eastern DOT tion of the State sell from ten up to sixty dol lars an acre, but good bodies of land, capable of being made into large and valuable planta- tions, Can be bought for from three to ten dol lars ar acre. Within the past two years, great number of heavy planters have ove1 into the State, and others have purchased pre- paratory to removing Tho immigratio ."lo the northern tier of counties has been very large; in some counties, at least two hundred families
 There is yet ample room for all who choose to come, and land of all qualities and prices for those who seek home.
 Unfortunately for our State, her principal roads run through her poorest lands. These roads, laid out at an early day in her history run on ridges or through swamps, and the traveller seeing the barrenness as he journeys through, might call it a road from Dan to Beer sheba, not knowing of the fertile valleys, bot toms anl uplands, upon his right hand and his left. The military road, as it is called, was made through such portion of the State, and emgrants have passed through it, forming most unfavorable opinion of the soil, when defection of few miles to the right or to the left, would have brought them to larer and richer country.
 Persons deSrous of looking at our State would do well to leave the beaten road of travel, and visit the valleys, or tables of land, when they will find different soil from that they were led to expect from survey of the country from the old ridge or swamp roads.