Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-05-02
mice The present terminus of the R Ri sc.

%. country, eaccpt Ior suIne Iwenty nIlol
called here c:mpo, without trees or other growth
upon it lhnnsgrass, aida few smallstushes. The
laadson these camposs are mot eniuvntsdsat aIts
batns:a fyr pastures. Tho people, hereSdeptend
tliatif ploushed, they would produce well, but
noone has triod it.. In our opinion, they are not
fsfor farming rurposes.S.As iatima,adtsnbo
there aro soIno supur y farmng'lands ON tlis
route, and VIC sawscortun that would ufakp one
thousand pounds per acre, or more. and corn that
would yield twenty five more bushels rcr acre
all cultivated with the hoe. .We saw cotton in NJ
stages tf growth, ,-snsae jus. planted. and somr
up FIVE or s;x inchcs,-sopie in full bloom, and
some planted the year previous, with bolls open.
We also saw cotton gins af.work, drivcnby steam,
by water and by hand; Alisthe cotton hcrcis Of
good quality.
The traveller in going from St Paulo to Botu-
catu, with the exception of these twenty or more
miles of good farming lands, and patch Of wood
land now and then, on which arc usually hous.
and Il small Gsli, planted in corn and kvans, will
say he has travelled vast plain unfficnd'y
to agriculture; ayd SO, in our opinion isis. Du:
in the midst of this extensive campo. or plain, or
If you plsase,Lbarrcn waste, suddenly rises up
mountain or succession Of mountains about fifty
or sixty miles long. bytsn or twelve miles wide,
evidently Of peculiar volcanic formation. AS
this mountain District was me most interesting
visited, We examined it with the greatest caro-.
and sntisisd ourseyss that it contained the rich
est lands We had ever seen. This immense and
inconceiyably fertile tract is owned, and, to some
oxtcnt, cultivated by small farmers. Ask man
Show much land do you owr1,'yand his usual re-
ply is at do rot know exactly but it is four six,
or ten mllet long, and from four 10 Fix miles
broad" The lands of f'Brazil, except in rare in
stances, have not been surveyed, and no one with
whom we have conversed on this subject, knows
how much land no owns.-All guess. We saw COZ n
growing on these lands, which would yield more
than fifty bushels per acre. The timber is Gu,
down, allowed to lie and dry for two months, CON-
monty, and then set on fire. All tho timber not
consumed by tho fire, remains just as the fire left
it, til it rots. Then usually with stick-sharp-
ened at the end, sometimes with hoe-a hole is
made in the ground, the seed, from five to ten
grains, put into this hole and covered with the
foot and this is all the cultivation the crops re-
ceivc. Corn, cotton, rice, sugar cane, tobacco,
coffee and allth Tropical fruits grow here iu
great perfection. I'VE saw peaches and grapes
also of good quality. The most Of these lands
nrc exempt from frost,-tho health Of this region
| is said to be une1ccptionable-tho water of the
purest freestone, and the watsr-powcr equal 10
any in the world. Stock of all kinds, hogs and
cattle especially, ,.are superior. Tho usual depth
of soil is supposed to. be thirteen foet but it s
known to be twenty or more in some places. II
this tract of country had convenient and easy
communication with the trade of the world, If
thoro might he eny 10 equal, there could certainly
bo mono to surpass it. Its present outlet is by
the Rail Road, one hundred and twenty five miles
to it's terminus, and from eighty to one hundred
miles by Tito Santos. Another outlet may be
opened for it across the Big Sierra alluded above.
In that direction, it is from eighty to one hum
drcd miles to steamboat navigation.
Theae lands can be purchased at from one to
with considerable improvements.
If largo number of families from tho States
should settle there, we have been assured official
ly, that good roads will bo opened up immediate
ly; and it ID practicable to connect this District
by R. r. with tho st. Paulo r. r., or by R. r.
over the Big Sorra to the head Of navigation.
--Rmuning parallel with this mountain range is
the-rtrvr ruUury rsIs=
.ant, on either side Of which, arc lands of the
bost quality, producing every description of crops,
except coGce in the greatest perfection and abun-
dance. There were some fields of as guod, if
not better cotton than We ever saw before and
without doubt the best "cultivaSed grass,p whole
fields of which were from five to seven feet high,
and eaten by the animal, with the greatest eyidi-
ty. There too, we found corn good enough for
any country. Fifty bushels per acre is a small
estimate for it. Our information is that for ore
than one hundred miles down this valley, the
same quality of land continues. 1t belongs to
private individuals, AID con be bought at from
fifty to seventy.fve cts per acre. 1t is proper to
mention horc, that the Territory forty or fifty
miles south Of the mountain range above referred
10 is in the hands of the Indiana. The lands in
this valley VIC believe to be good for cotton as
my in tho United States. The ordinary estimate
of this crop is from two to three thousand
lbs,-with but little cultivation. The character Of
the soil is what is usually called with US "Mulat-
to-" and its dop.h from oight inches to five feet.
But grent objection to this exceedingly fortile
valley is its liability to chills, which ore some
times malignant
In describing these lands more particularly, it
is perhaps proper to REMARK, that the mountains,
though rising to considerable height, have usu-
ally several long slopes almost level in ascending
them, and the larger portion of them is level
enough for: cultivation. YOU 60 along slope
slightly ascending, for several miles, then up
steep ascent for half mile ESQ, to another
long slope almost level, and so on till you reach
the aummit, which is also large level tract, from
half to two miles wido. This land is nearly
all "tcrra roccha," Of the first quality. Tho. woods
arc apparently one immense cancbrake, though
the cane is much larger than that grown in the
States, and called here "bsmboo." Timber is
abundant; including furniture wood of the finest
grain, and that most suitable and required for
ship.bulding.
We have boon particular in the description of
these lands, for if number of our people 60 to
Brazil, ,tho Districts of Botucatu and Lencoss and
the adjoining lands of the Tiete river, constitute
the section wo advise them. to examine. In our
opinion, splendid future awaits this portion of
the province.
We saw other good lands, but they were in a
high state of cultivation, for Brazil, and could
not be purchased for less than twenty-five, fy5
and hundred dollars per acre, since they wore