The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1860-06-02

-N NAAAN w IA ECA tAAS ANSNS~NNy
of our people making it business to ac-
quire real estate in city, town, and coun-
try. We have the satisfaction of knowing
that our efforts were not without good re-
suits. The attention of some has been
earnestly turned in the way we pointed
out. A correspondent has since also called
the attention Of our young men to the same
subject, and pointed out New Jersey as a
fitting locality for the procurement of lands.
Other places may and do offer advantages
that New jersey, to the general farmer,
does not; but from our personal knowledge
of some parts of this State, we firmly be-
lieve that to the colored man of small
means-the man who wishes to rightly
employ his small means as fast as he earns
them-to the novice in farming-to him
who, when wearied of city employments
such as are usually assigned to colored men
we say in view of all these and other
facts, that portion of New Jersey to which
we allude offers better field than any
other section we know of. We refer more
particularly to Monmouth county, though
We are told that other counties offer still
stronger reasons.
The fine lands in Monmouth county ly-
ing within two hours drive west of Shrews-
bury and Long Branch, fifteen years ago
could be purchased for five dollars per
acre; much of these lands now cannot be
obtained for forty dollars per acre, and
some of it even for sixty. We know Of
colored men in those vicinities who paid
the low price of four and five dollars per
acre for fifty to one hundred acres, but a
few years ago, who could get at this mo-
ment fifty to sixty dollars per acre.
These lands are what are called the
Jersey Pines, and twenty years ago were
thought scarcely worth driving through ex-
cept for the pine wood on them. The
three to five dollars per acre which they
brought was for the wood only, and then
they were left to the stinttd scrub-oak and
the dwindling pine. Subsequently the
Great Mari Pits" of New Jersey were
discovered, and those lands more adjacent
to them were speedily brought into mar
ket. The once pine wastes are now fruit
full fields and elegant farms are butted
square up to the pine forests.
But there are thousands Of acres of these
pine lands yet undisposed of, and which
can be obtained at suite low figure fol
cash. Men in that section Of country val
ne money far more than acres, and if col
ored men would take our advice they would
appropriate, and that right speedily, the
acres, and relieve themselves of the few
dollars they may possess. Our word for
it, in time they would not regret it. On
the contrary, they will find it the best days
work they ever did.
Talk about organizations for operations
far, far away, for improving our condition
Here, in our view, is field where an or
ganization, with little or no expense, might
operate with great advantage to us as a
class. A company, through well-accred-
tied agent, with as little stir as possible,
might purchase one or two thousand acres
of these lands, and divide it up in small
parcels to suit the stockholders or other
purchasers, and thus give a small living
farm to hundreds Of our people at rate
wholly within their means. The locality
has much to commend it to our people.
First, the lands, though of not very heavy
bottom, are susceptible cf the highest i'm
provement, and are well adapted to fruit
and vegetables; and their contiguity to
the great city of New York will make the
farmers surplus always disposable for
ready cash. Secondly, the means fol. their
improvement is easy. What with the
great mari pits OF New Jersey, and lime
and other fertilizers, few acres can in a
very short time be brought under a high
state of cultivation, with a few dollars.
Thirdly, their nearness to New York mar
ket-three hours at most--is a great con-
sideration with our people. If we were
experienced and practical farmers, living
and working for generations as such in
the surrounding country, and enjoying all
the various facilities in common with our
white fellow citizens, then we might have
greater inducements to seek remoter and
perhaps more fertile localities; but for no.
vices and experimenters with small means
and few advantages, it always has occurred
to us that the vicinities of large cities were
the best.
With us the attainment of country pro-
perty has two-fold aspect first, posses
sion; and second, means of payment. TIC